


67 Pages

by comeonlight



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Blatant references to other games, Childhood, Comfort, Crack, Crying, Cuddles, Dancing, Diary/Journal, F/F, Fluff, Girlfriends being gay, Growing Up Together, Halloween, Humor, Kissing, Life is Strange mention, Malice!Sice, Memes, Motherhood, Pampering, Partying, Romance, Sice is a giant dork, Sleeping Together, Truth or Dare, Underage Drinking, War, a little bit, i think, shipper trash friends, short one shots, sick!Sice, thirst, this is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-04-03 14:10:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 67
Words: 33,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4103773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comeonlight/pseuds/comeonlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of various Sice x Seven shorts; each chapter is independent. Mostly corny, cheesy, fluffy, lighthearted stuff with a possible mix of crack and angst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Floral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven's brought flowers for her lady.

"Flowers?" "Flowers." Seven handed the bouquet to Sice, who hesitantly accepted it. "Uh…thanks. What's the occasion?" Seven smiled and kissed Sice on the cheek. "I just felt like reminding you that I love you." Sice rolled her eyes, her cheeks turning just a hint of red. "You already do that every day." Seven kissed her nose. "Well today you get flowers too." Sice blushed a little more. "Do you even look to see if anyone's watching before you pull stuff like this?" "Nope," Seven said, giving a toothy grin. Sice sighed, then looked to her left and right, making sure no one was walking down the hall. She then pulled Seven closer to her and kissed her lips. "I love you too. Dumbass."


	2. Silly Sice, Still Saltwater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven takes Sice to a carnival.

"See something you like?" Seven asked, noticing Sice's starry-eyed smile. Sice looked back and forth between all the booths at the carnival, the excitement on her face reminiscent of that of a small child. "Let's try out that deep-fried chocobo first!" Sice said, taking Seven by the hand and speeding toward a red tent.

"Two wings?" the vendor asked. "Yeah," Sice said eagerly. Seven placed some gil on the table. "Keep the change," she said as she and Sice each took a wing. "I was gonna pay for it," Sice said before taking a huge bite as she and Seven walked toward a bench. They sat down. "I told you," Seven said. "This is my treat." Sice moaned in contentment. "Oh, it's a treat alright. This is some of the best meat I've ever had." Seven's wing was a bit smaller, so she finished first. Sice, on the other hand, had an enormous mutated wing and took her time savoring each bite.

When she finally finished licking the bones clean, Sice stood up. "Where next, Seven? Games? Ferris wheel? Oh, that moogle's selling cotton candy! And ice cream! And dumplings!" Seven accompanied Sice to the moogle, amused at the girl's passion for food. "Uh, uh…" Sice said, looking at all the different options. "I want…uh…man, how do I decide?" "We'll take one of everything," Seven said, opening her wallet and smiling at the moogle. "Everything?" the moogle asked. "That'll cost quite a bit of gil, kupo." Seven took a handful of coins from her wallet. "Don't worry. I'm loaded."

"I feel kinda bad," Sice said after the purchase was made. "Like I'm milking your wallet dry." She took a lick of ice cream. "I just said I was loaded," Seven said. "I've been saving up just for this, so don't you worry your pretty little head about money." Sice stuffed a dumpling into her mouth and uttered a muffled "mmkay." Seven chuckled and guided the younger girl toward a gondola. "Shall we take a ride on the lake while you finish your treats?"

The gondolier was silent, but he seemed polite. He helped both girls onto the boat with a smile on his face. "Could you take us straight across?" Seven asked. "Slowly, though. We'd like a long, relaxing ride. If that's okay." The gondolier tipped his hat and began propelling the boat at a slow, even pace. "This is nice," Sice said before taking a bite of her ice cream cone. "Mhm," Seven hummed, resting her head on Sice's shoulder. Sice finished her ice cream and then popped a ball of cotton candy into her mouth. "The stars are coming out," she said softly.

Seven looked up at the darkening sky. "Yeah. They're pretty, aren't they?" Sice tore a chunk from the giant mass of cotton candy in the bag in her hand and held it near Seven's mouth. "Not as pretty as you." Seven blushed, taking the treat into her mouth. "I'm not big on sweets, actually," she said, nuzzling Sice's neck. Sice ran her fingers through Seven's hair. "Well, I guess that makes sense. You're super sweet already."

Suddenly, a seal emerged from the calm waters. "GAAAAAAYYYY," it shouted. Sice turned her head to the camera, her stare eating away at the fourth wall. "Memes, really?"


	3. Dance with Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice invites Seven to dance with her.

"What was that?" Seven asked. Sice held out her hand. "I said, dance with me." Seven reluctantly reached for Sice's hand. "What're you so shy about, Sev?" Seven stood up, awkwardly placing her hands on Sice's shoulders. "I've never done this before," she admitted in a low tone. A giant smirk made its way to Sice's lips. "Even better." She took one of Seven's hands in one of her own, and wrapped the opposite arm around Seven's waist. "I'll teach you everything you need to know. You trust me?" A timid smile appeared on Seven's face. "Of course."  
"Alright, try to follow my lead…"


	4. Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven doesn't at all mind sharing her body heat if it means keeping a friend from freezing.

"What're you doing?" Sice asked grumpily as Seven brought an arm over her body and pulled her closer. "You're cold," Seven replied calmly. "Can't have a comrade catching frostbite." She unfastened her jacket and brought Sice's hands to her skin. "Warm…" Sice whispered, her tense body relaxing. She slowly leaned her head into Seven's shoulder, her exhaustion heavily outweighing her thoughts of how awkward this might've seemed. Seven smiled to herself as Sice's arm hugged her lightly, sleepy fingers sifting through silver hair. "Goodnight, Sice," Seven whispered, closing her eyes. Sice's fingers soon came to a rest in Seven's mane, and the only sounds remaining were soft breathing and the occasional crackling of the dying bonfire.


	5. Buns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice loves buns and Seven has some news.

"Ohhh man, I can't wait," Sice said, crouching in front of the oven for the sixth time in the past four minutes. "You're really excited about this, aren't you?" Seven asked, though the answer was obvious. Sice stood up. "Of course I'm excited. I loooove me some buns!" "Right, buns…" Seven's voice trailed off and her gaze fell. Sice took her eyes off of the rising dough for a split second to glance at Seven. "You starin' at my ass?"

Seven's eyes instantly rose to meet Sice's, and her face turned just the slightest shade of red. "Of course not!" she responded quickly. "What you said just got me thinking…" Seven looked down, seeming to go into deep thought. "Thinkin' about what?" Sice asked. "You alright?" Seven shook her head and then lifted it, giving a soft smile to her wife. "I'm fine. It's just that…Um, Sice, let's sit down."

Sice gave Seven a questioning look, but complied with her request. "Alright, you're acting weird," she said, plopping down in a chair. "Spit it out already, yeah?" Seven reached for one of Sice's hands and grasped it softly. "Let's just say that those aren't the only buns in the oven." She tilted her head toward the baking bread. Sice's eyes widened to a size Seven had never seen before; it was actually quite comical. "Hey, Sice?" Seven asked after a minute of silence, miraculously managing not to burst out laughing at her wife's facial expression. Sice opened her mouth slightly, the corners forming a small smile. She spoke two words in an almost inaudible tone:

"Holy shit."


	6. Relaxation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven helps Sice wind down after some intense training. In a non-sexual way.

"You sure were out late," Seven commented as Sice entered their shared room and flopped onto her bed. "So. Much. Training..." Sice groaned, letting her eyes fall shut. Kurasame could be quite strict at times, and his "detention" sessions were to be avoided at all costs. But, Sice had decided to doze off on several occasions (though it didn't seem to affect her grades).

"Want me to draw you a bath?" Seven asked, seeing that the younger girl was clearly miserable. "I took a shower before I came here," Sice grumbled. "Was sweatin' like a pig." "Still," Seven said. "A bath could help relax all those sore muscles." "I don't wanna get up," Sice replied, sounding slightly annoyed. Seven ignored this change in Sice's voice and sat at the edge of her bed. "At least let me give you a massage then."

"Touch me and you die," Sice said flatly. Seven smirked to herself and placed Sice's leg in her lap. "You're too stiff to do that," she said, beginning to softly knead Sice's muscles. "Besides, you know you'd never hurt me~" Sice rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just get on with it." Seven's smirk remained as she placed Sice's leg back on the bed. "Hold on," she said. "I'm gonna get some lotion. Turn over and lay on your stomach, okay? And take off your shirt."

Sice silently complied, slowly removing her shirt and shifting onto her stomach, feeling a slight ache with each movement. Soon, though, Seven's hands were on her skin, bringing a soothing sensation to her tense, worn out muscles.  _This is nice_ , she thought.  _I'll have to return the favor one day_.


	7. Lovers' Quarrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven and Sice aggressively profess their love for one another.

"I love you." Seven said it out of blue - well, maybe not out of the blue. It was International Over Affectionate Lovers' Day, the holiday for gross amounts of kissing, cuddling, gifts, and public displays of affection. Sice hated it. The entire concept was dumb enough, but the fact that it was actually recognized by the state was just ridiculous. Despite that, though...

"I love you more," Sice found herself saying. She popped a fourth piece of heart-shaped chocolate into her mouth. "What was that?" Seven asked, making her way to Sice's bed. "I think you're mistaken, Sice. Because I definitely love you more." Sice raised an eyebrow and then sat up. "Excuse me," she said, sounding slightly offended. "But it is an irrefutable fact that I love you more." She gave Seven a slight glare, as if saying 'I dare you to continue this argument.'

"I'm just saying, Sice," Seven said, keeping her calm tone. "I love you even more than you're loving those chocolates I gave you." Sice put another chocolate in her mouth. "Well," she said, her voice becoming slightly garbled as she chewed. "I love you more than Ace loves sleep and chocobos. Combined." That wasn't a declaration of love, but rather a declaration of war.

Soon, the girls found themselves wrestling, professing their love in a struggle for dominance. "I love you more than all the stars in the sky!" Seven declared, trapping Sice in a headlock. "Oh yeah?" Sice asked, breaking free from Seven's hold. "I love you more than the moon and all the meteors!" She grabbed Seven's forearms before she could be pushed down, but the effort was futile. Seven put all of her body weight on Sice, making the shorter girl fall over. "Sice, I love you more than air. Beat that." "Alright," Sice spat. "I love you more than Kurasame loves pissing us off." Seven chuckled at that, and instantly found Sice on top of her.

"You let your guard down," Sice said. "How careless. But I love you anyway." Seven simply smirked, which threw Sice off a little. "What're you smiling for?" "That was on purpose, my little angry moogle-" "I told you never to call me that!" Sice's face instantly turned red with rage and embarrassment, and Seven took the opportunity to sit up and wrap Sice in a giant hug. "I love you more than you hate that name," she whispered. Sice let out a groan.

A knock on the door caught both girls' attention. "Hey!" the voice on the other side of the door called. "It's super frickin' great you're all in love and everything, but some of us are tryin'a frickin' study!"

 


	8. No Harm in Staying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a lazy morning...

"How long have we been here?" Sice asked, squinting at the sunlight shining through the window. She tried to sit up to look at the clock, but Seven promptly pulled her back onto the bed. "It doesn't matter," she yawned. Sice glanced at the textbooks on her desk.  _I guess I can catch up on that reading some other time_. She placed an arm across Seven's chest, and Seven held her hand. "I guess there's no harm in staying here a while longer…" Sure, every second they spent cuddling in bed was another second they risked getting caught by the RA, or worse, Queen, but…it was totally worth it.

 


	9. Dancing Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven lets loose at an unauthorized party. Sice's POV.

Okay, so by whatever strange means I ended up at an unauthorized party in some abandoned dorm. That was good and well, sure. The food was alright, and somebody snuck some beer on campus so I helped myself to a few swigs of that. I didn't make myself very noticeable. Chances were if we got busted, I could sneak out and say I had nothing to do with it. It was hard to see anyone's face since the only illumination came from strobe lights and most people were dancing around. One thing was easy to see though: Seven.

It was kinda freaky, seeing her dancing on top of a table. I mean, she was good at it – really, really good – but it was so…out of character. She was totally wasted, but still… Man, how was she gonna live this mess down? I don't know what convinced her to start drinking, but before long, she was chugging vodka with a crowd around her. Where were these guys getting all this alcohol anyway? And how were they sneaking it in? Probably an inside man on campus security…

My eyes were fixated on Seven as she danced like I'd never seen her dance before. She was like a completely different person: no modesty, no shame, and not a care in the world. When the lights flashed, I could see her eyes. They were hazy, but at the same time focused. Focused on me. She'd been giving me this mischievous look the whole time. I thought maybe it was flirtatious even, but…no way. At least, that's what I thought until she blew me a kiss. And then she took off her shirt and winked at me.

_Oh, Etro help me._  That's all I could think as I watched from a distance. Seven was wasted, and she was dancing exotically in a skirt and a lace bra, and she was silently flirting with me, and…My face was hot. Was I blushing? Crap, crap. Maybe it was a really weird dream I was having from eating that weird-looking vegetable last night. I pinched myself, but no. This was real alright.

To my elation but also to my dismay, a voice broke through the blaring music: "We're busted! Guys, we're busted!" The attendees of the party stampeded toward the exits. It was a struggle, but I made my way to the table Seven was dancing on top of. I grabbed her shirt and stepped up onto the table, picking her up by the waist. "Come to save your princess?" she asked. Man, she even sounded different. Without responding, I leapt into the herd of people and forced my way through a door.

Miraculously, I was able to sneak back into my dorm and put Seven to bed. She kept getting back up, though. "Seven, go to bed," I kept saying. But she just sat up and crossed her legs, staring at me, licking her lips. It made me nervous. Or something. It was like she could function perfectly despite being drunk. Only, her personality was warped. Or maybe this was just a dark side of herself that she kept hidden away… "Go to bed," I said again. She just kept giving me that look. I was about to just snap and scream "WHAT?!" but then she finally said, "I'll see you when the sun rises. Maybe even before that." She winked at me, and my heart began to beat more rapidly. What did that even mean? Well, if it did mean anything, I'd find out soon enough.

 


	10. "Senpai" or "A Case of the Dokis"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven is the coolest senpai, and she just may have noticed a certain kouhai.

Just what made Seven so damn cool? Sice pondered what the answer could possibly be. Her classmate was composed 99 percent of the time, rational, kind…Usually kindness was an annoyance, but Seven's gestures of generosity and benevolence were smooth, natural. "You alright, Sice? You look like you're deep in thought." Those words snapped Sice out of her trance, and she sat up straight. Seven cocked her head just slightly, showing some concern.

"I-I'm fine," Sice said. "I was just thinking….Never mind, it has nothing to do with you." Okay, so that was a total lie, but Sice would rather avoid a conversation than embarrass herself in front of the only person whose opinion mattered.  _Wait a minute_ , Sice thought.  _Since when do I care about what she thinks? …I don't care what she thinks. Right! It doesn't matter!_

A few hours later, Sice found herself at Seven's door, scratching her head. "Hey, Sice. I sure wasn't expecting you." Seven's lips formed a smile and she opened her door wide, welcoming Sice inside her room. "You can sit anywhere you like." Sice sat on top of a futon in the corner of the room, and Seven plopped down on a nearby cushion. "So…" Seven began. "Did you…need something?"

Sice looked down and began lightly tapping her boots together. "Well…I kinda wanted some…advice…" Seven's eyes lit up a little. "I'm glad you're finally opening up to me. I'm all ears." Speaking of ears, Sice's ears began to darken, followed by the rest of her face as she spoke: "I was wondering, if you…like someone…how would you know?" She tried to hide her face by turning away, but her blush was still obvious from Seven's angle. "Well," Seven said. "Typical symptoms of the dokis are…nervousness…" She stood up from her pillow. "And you just can't seem to stop thinking about that person…" She took a step toward Sice and leaned over her. "And you might get red in the face." Using one hand, Seven smooshed Sice's cheeks together and turned the younger girl's face so that their eyes met. "And being near them makes you feel like you might just faint. Yet, you want to get closer…" She leaned forward, parting her lips.

Sice didn't have enough oxygen in her brain to process this; she couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, she….couldn't believe Seven would pull away like that after coming so close. Seven released her hold on Sice's cheeks and backed away, smiling innocently. "That's how I see it, anyway." Sice stuttered some gibberish and then went silent. Seven gave Sice a pat on the head. "Sorry for messing with you like that," she laughed. "But you're adorable."  _Wait. What did she just call me?_  "Let's go on a date," Seven said, looking and sounding and sincere. "Wait," Sice said. "D-Does this mean you…" Seven kissed Sice's forehead. "Senpai noticed you."


	11. Here for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's snowing, and Sice's emotional walls are down.

"I hate snow," Sice sighed. From her bed, Seven looked pensively out the window at the moderate precipitation. She recalled when was Sice was first brought to Akademeia. Sice, a lone girl dragged out into the snow by Byakko soldiers and left to die. If Arecia hadn't saved her, she surely would have perished. Seven thought it a little humorous how she herself didn't mind wintry weather at all; perhaps it had to do with her ice magic skills.

Pressure on her arm snapped Seven out of her thoughts. Sice was leaning into her just a little. Seven put an arm around Sice's shoulders and brought her closer. She knew that Sice wasn't the best at expressing her deeper feelings, but figuring out when she needed comfort wasn't difficult at all. Sice didn't show much vulnerability to anyone in Class Zero. That is, except for Seven.

Initially, Sice had never planned on opening up to anyone. Most of her classmates annoyed her, though she came to somewhat appreciate Deuce's kindness. But she was  _too_ kind at times; too forgiving, too often trying to invite her to do something with the others, too eager to make people smile. Sure, she was sweet, but it was…sickening, in a way. Maybe because she was just so different from Sice.

Seven, on the other hand, was less talkative with more of a… "no bullshit" attitude. She saw straight through Sice's emotional barriers most of the time, and stated things as they were. "I'm here for you." In the beginning, when Sice was upset, Seven would sometimes sit down beside her and say that. No barrage of annoying questions, no invitations to play a game or practice fighting, no unsolicited hugs; just a simple statement and silent company. Eventually, Sice grew to trust Seven with some of her insecurities and found herself welcoming questions and suggesting they do some of the activities she had previously resented the very thought of.

Seven became Sice's study partner, sparring buddy, her comfort, and what she could truly call her best friend. Seven understood her, respected her, and they had a mutual desire to protect one another. As far as Sice was concerned, Seven was the only person who had earned the right to see all of her; her vulnerability, her fear. No one else was allowed.

Sice closed her eyes and leaned into Seven's chest. "It's hard," she whispered. Seven gently stroked Sice's hair. "Trying to always be tough? Yeah. Sometimes what we need is to be exposed and let all of our emotions out. Lose control and just be vulnerable…" Seven could feel Sice shaking against her. "Sice, it's fine if you cry."

Sice clutched Seven's shirt and buried her face in her chest. Seven brought another arm around Sice and stroked her back as tears began to soak through her shirt and muffled sobs became audible. She continued this for a good five minutes, until Sice pulled herself away and wiped the remaining tears from her face. "Sorry," Sice said, inching away from Seven. Seven placed her hand on Sice's head. "Don't be. I'm here for you." She leaned forward and kissed Sice's forehead. Sice leaned into Seven's arms. "Hey, can I lay down for a while?"

A playful smirk came to Seven's face. "That depends. Can I give you more hugs and kisses?" Sice rolled her eyes. Though she didn't like to admit it, it was relaxing to just lay there and let Seven do whatever she felt like. She trusted her, after all. "Fine," Sice said, reclining. Seven lay down right next to her, throwing an arm over her waist and placing soft kisses on the side of her neck. "This is nice," Sice sighed contently. Seven hummed in agreement against Sice's neck, then pulled her lips away briefly. "You okay now?" Sice placed her hand over Seven's, nodding silently.

"Okay. That's what counts."


	12. Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen's hosting a game of truth or dare, and she's definitely got something planned for Sice and Seven.

This was stupid. So incredibly, unbearably stupid. Sice criticized herself for being persuaded into participating in this game of truth or dare in the first place. If the others had only  _shut up_ like she'd told them to do four hundred times, she wouldn't have given in. But here she was, in Queen's room, sitting on a futon, pouting with her arms and legs crossed.

"Next up," Queen announced, looking a little too pleased. "Sice." Sice looked up, giving Queen an uninterested glare. "Truth or dare?" Whoever came up with this game was an idiot for sure. "Whatever," Sice sighed. "Dare." Queen's eyes lit up. Yep, she definitely had something up her sleeve. For such a goodie-goodie, she could be pretty mischievous at times. With a smirk on her face, Queen said, "I dare you to kiss Seven."

Wait. Hold up. Did Sice hear that correctly? She took a look around at the other members of Class Zero; they were all staring at her and Seven, who just happened to be right beside her on the futon. Did Queen plan this seating arrangement, too? Sice hesitated. "Th-This is stupid! I don't even know why I agreed to play." She began to stand up, but then Queen stopped her in her tracks with the words, "Are you scared?"

Sice sat back down and glowered at Queen, annoyed. "Listen up, Queenie. First things first, I don't get scared." The smirk on Queen's face widened just slightly as she adjusted her glasses. "Then why are you acting so afraid to kiss Seven? Surely you don't find her unattractive." She did kind of have a point. Seven was pretty…But still, this was just a stupid game. She shouldn't have to…But then again, she couldn't let anyone think she was afraid. Backing down wasn't her thing. Sice snarled, then moved her gaze from Queen to Seven, yanking the taller girl's arm to bring her closer.

Seven's lips were really soft. Sice didn't know exactly what to expect, but it caught her off guard nonetheless. She let her eyes fall shut, and she released her grip on Seven's arm. A warm, wet,  _thing_ began tracing her slightly parted lips – wait a minute, was that Seven's tongue? It was totally Seven's tongue. Sice couldn't think straight at all. Seven's tongue was in her mouth, Seven's hair was brushing against her face, Seven's hands were moving up her neck to cup her cheeks, Seven… "Mmn." Only when Sice let out that small whimper did she snap back to attention and push Seven away from her. Red in the face, she looked toward Queen.

"Satisfied?"

Queen glanced at her classmates sitting in a circle on the floor; most of them looked somewhere between shocked and impressed. She then looked at a flustered Seven, chuckling. "I suppose," she said. "Alright, King. You're next. Truth or dare?"


	13. Crazy in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long day, Sice is ready for some sleep...but not before she figures out where that singing is coming from.

"I'm home." Sice set down her bags and practically dove onto the couch. She saw one thing in her near future and that thing was some well-deserved rest. She stretched out on the couch, yawning, and then closed her eyes.

" _Got me looking so crazy right now, your love's got me looking so crazy right now…"_

Wait, what was that? Sice rose her head and looked around. The door to the master bedroom was open. She'd definitely heard singing, and the only other person living here was…  _I've got to see this,_ Sice thought, standing up despite her body's pleas for rest. She walked lightly on the balls of her feet, moving quietly. The sound of running water came within earshot, and the voice became louder.

" _Got me looking so crazy right now, your touch got me looking so crazy right now…"_

Sice's suspicions were confirmed when she entered the bathroom. Seven was totally singing in the shower. And she was…pretty good at it. Sice silently took a seat on a bench inside the bathroom, listening to Seven's soothing voice. And then when Seven noticed her presence, she could listen to flustered ramblings. It was perfect.

Seven stepped out of the shower and immediately froze. "How long have you been sitting there?" Sice managed to keep her eyes from wandering, but couldn't stop herself from laughing. Seven wrapped a towel around herself as Sice howled in amusement. "You're so immature," she grumbled. Sice stood up and gave Seven a hug, ignoring the moisture getting onto her clothes. "Nah, I'm just crazy in love."


	14. Kweh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice shows up to Seven's room for what's supposed to be a date, but Seven seems to really want to teach her the language of chocobos. Crack/humor.

“You’re joking.” Sice simply stared at Seven, who seemed completely serious, even while wearing that ridiculous feathery chocobo costume. “Come on, learning a new language is great for the brain.” Seven wrapped an arm around Sice in an attempt to keep her from walking away. “Okay, but when the hell would I ever need to talk to _chocobos_?” Sice asked, rolling her eyes.

Seven guided Sice to a loveseat and sat down. “You might need to give a very specific command that we can’t simply train chocobos to do. Let me teach you.” She patted the space beside her, and Sice sat down with an exasperated sigh. “You’re supposed to be one of the smarter ones, Seven. But this…This is just really dumb.” “Kweh,” Seven chuckled with a smile. “It’ll be easy, Sice. You know you want to.” She caressed Sice’s cheek with one finger.

Sice slapped Seven’s hand away. “Alright, that’s enough. What’s your ulterior motive?” An impish smirk came to Seven’s lips and her voice took a low tone. “Kweh, kweh. _Kweh_.” Whatever that was, it got Sice a little flustered. “What did you say?” she asked, curious but nowhere near willing to learn this so-called “language.” “Let me teach you and you’ll find out,” Seven said, her smile reverting back to something mostly innocent. Sice rolled her eyes again. “Whatever. Nevermind.”

Sice stood up and began walking toward the door. “Next time we go on a ‘date,’ I’m choosing.” “Kweh,” Seven said quietly, with some sort of desperation in her voice, as if begging Sice not to leave. Sice turned around and bared her teeth. “…Fine.” She slowly walked back to Seven and sat beside her with a huff. “Etro, this is so stupid.” Seven beamed at Sice, who just shook her head. “Alright, get on with it.”

“Right!” Seven said. “The basics. We’ll start with the simple, ‘Kweh.’” Unamused, Sice stared blankly at Seven as she continued: “Repeat after me. ‘Kweh.’” Sice concluded that the sooner she cooperated, the sooner this “lesson” would be over. So, she swallowed her dignity and muttered, “Kweh.” Seven stared in awe for a few seconds, like she wasn’t expecting Sice to say it. Maybe that was because she really _wasn’t_ expecting Sice to say it. At all. A few seconds of silence passed before Seven burst out into laughter. “I can’t believe you actually said it!” she howled. “Never in a million years did I think…” Laughter overcame her again.

“You’re the one in the chocobo costume,” Sice reminded her girlfriend. Seven wiped a tear from her eye. “Yeah, but I lost a bet. You…you actually fell for it!” She held her gut as giggles shook her body. Sice shook her head as Seven continued her little fit, because apparently a simple “Kweh” was _so_ hilarious. Ten seconds or so later, Seven composed herself and then whispered, “Kweh…kweh.” Sice gave a sideways glance. “Do I even want to know?” “It means ‘I love you,’” Seven said, a hint of laughter still in her voice. Sice sighed, and there was a brief silence before she decided to inquire about an earlier statement. “So what’s this about a bet?”


	15. The Calm in the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm knocks out the power in Seven and Sice's orphanage, and the two moms have to navigate the dark, gather the kids, and calm them down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad title is bad.

“Wait up, I can’t see a damn thing. Seven, I said wait up!” Sice felt along the walls of the orphanage, attempting to catch up to Seven. Of course, those words fell on deaf ears. Seven scrambled through the darkness, thinking up different ways to deal with the situation while also criticizing herself. She should’ve been prepared for this. She should’ve had a plan ready beforehand. Now the younger children would panic and she might not be able to calm them down. This was bad, awful, just completely terrible.

“Crap,” Sice whispered as hail began to strike the building. “Hey, Seven, you find a candle yet? Or a flashlight?” A dim light flickered on in the distance, and Sice could make out the outline of Seven, surrounded by other small figures. She could hear mixed cries of “Mommy, I’m scared,” and “What’s that noise?” A crack of thunder silenced the children for a moment, and Sice took the opportunity to speak up as she approached them. “Don’t worry, it’s just a storm. We’re all gonna be just fine.”

Seven stroked the head of a child who had buried his face in her shirt. “That’s right, everything’s going to be okay. Now, is everyone here? Sice, can you check upstairs?” Sice gave a nod and began her ascent up the pitch black stairway as Seven began a head count. She reached the top of the stairs and felt around. “Hey, anyone here? I can’t see ya…ow.” She bumped into something, a bed maybe; not something she was too concerned with at the moment.

Sice called out again. “Anybody? No one here? Huh…Guess not…” She made her way back downstairs, being careful not to trip. “Everyone’s here,” Seven reported to Sice’s relief. The children were seated on the floor now, surrounding Seven. They still looked a bit shaky, but definitely more calm than before. Sice cleared her throat to draw their attention. “I’ve noticed a lot of you are afraid of storms. Anyone wanna tell me what makes ‘em so scary?” She looked around at the different young faces, waiting for an answer.

“They’re loud,” one girl piped. “Alright,” Sice sympathized. “I’m not a fan of loud noises either. But I get through it!” She winked and gave a grin. It didn’t seem to boost morale. “The sky wants to rip us apart!” another child said. “Ice falling out of the sky, and wind, they can tear up everything. And lightning can set stuff on fire, and buildings can collapse and-” “Hey,” Sice interrupted. “You’re being way too pessimistic. And that’s a lot, coming from me.” “What’s pessimisc?” a different child asked. “Oh, right,” Sice said, remembering the limited vocabulary of some of the kids. “Pessimistic means…negative, doubtful, you think the worst thing is gonna happen.”

“Anyway,” Sice said, getting back to her main topic. “Don’t make the worst of things. Let me tell you all something. Me and Seven, we’re here to keep you safe. These walls are strong, and so are we. So long as you live under this roof, nothing bad’s gonna happen to you. I promise. Well, unless you get on one of our bad sides.” She followed the last statement with a laugh, and a few of the children laughed with her.

“Sice is right,” Seven said, smiling in Sice’s direction. It was a smile Sice knew; the same smile she saw when she woke up early at the break of dawn and Seven kissed her and whispered, “Go back to sleep;” the same smile she saw on the day of their wedding when Seven helped her cut the first slice of cake; the most beautiful smile in the world.

“Mom?” Sice looked down at a child tugging on her hand. They gave her a huge smile. “Thanks, that helped a lot.” Sice took a seat and set the child in her lap. “Good. Now, while you’re all up, let me tell you a story about your Aunt Queen.”


	16. Deployment Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven just returned from her long mission, and Sice has to go to the battlefield soon, so they savor the little time they have together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extremely short stories and bad titles seem to be a theme in this collection.

            The sun’s first rays shone through the window, and Seven’s eyes fluttered open. She looked down at the mess of white hair resting on her chest and felt the slow breathing against her skin. Sice was at peace, at least for now. That was good. With her arms already wrapped around Sice, Seven couldn’t help but hug her a little closer. She didn’t want to let go, but soon she would have to.

            Sice stirred a little and lifted her head. “Morning already?” She looked at Seven’s face. “Hey, you look like you’re gonna cry.” “I might,” Seven said, staring wistfully into Sice’s eyes. Sice sat up and tried her best to smile. “Yeah, I know. You’ve been gone almost a month and you just got back. And I have to go today.” Seven pulled Sice’s head toward her and kissed her lips. “Don’t remind me. I don’t want to think about that.” “Fair enough,” Sice yawned before cupping Seven’s cheeks. “But you do know I love you, right?” Seven’s eyes widened slightly. Of course she knew that. It was just that Sice had never said those words before.

            “I know,” Seven said, positioning her hands on Sice’s waist. “I love you too.” Sice smiled softly. “I’ll be back before you know it.” With no further words, she leaned forward and kissed Seven tenderly. They were going to savor every moment of this morning.


	17. Awaiting Your Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice promised Seven that she'd come back. So where is she?

            At this point, Seven really couldn’t help herself. Sice’s mission was supposed to take a maximum of four days, but today was the eighth. The memory of her was still there, bright as day: her blue eyes, her sarcastic comments, her sheer determination, just her presence; Seven wanted it all back. But, at least Sice was alive.

            That was right. If Seven could remember her, then she was definitely alive. But if Sice was still alive, where was she? Seven’s mind immediately wandered to dark places. Was she being held captive? Interrogated? Tortured? Seven tried to shake the thoughts and let her head fall into Sice’s pillow. It still smelled like her…Even with all of Seven’s tears on it, it still smelled just like Sice.

            “She’ll come back,” Seven murmured to herself. “She has to. She did promise, after all…”


	18. Pampering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice just wanted to pamper her girlfriend a little bit.

“Right there, don’t stop.” Seven had to admit, Sice was skilled with her hands. She hadn’t been expecting a foot massage, especially not one this _good_ , but she wasn’t going to complain if Sice wanted to pamper her. “Want me to do your nails too?” Sice asked, looking up at Seven’s face from her spot on the floor. “Uh…” Seven said, staring off into space with a contented smile. Sice stood up and gave her a kiss on the nose. “I see you’re in the zone. How about I just file ‘em?” Seven gave a lazy nod. “…Okay.” Chuckling, Sice knelt back down. “That’s right, Sev. Just take it easy.” _You deserve it_ , she thought.


	19. Sleep Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This night is just like the nights of long ago. Except gayer.

Sice’s eyes were glued shut and her body was still paralyzed for the most part, but she was conscious. There was something warm and soft pressed against her back, something she could only identify as a body. With each passing second, Sice became more aware and the sleep paralysis wore off. There was an arm over her waist, and she could just barely feel faint breaths on the back of her neck. Who in the right mind would invade her personal space, especially in the middle of the night? It wasn’t much of a question; only one person would dare pull such a stunt.

“Seven,” Sice mumbled, sitting up. “What the hell?” Seven opened her eyes slowly and blinked once, not moving from her lying position. “You were crying in your sleep.” Sice blinked a few times and felt her cheeks. Sure enough, they were a little moist. “It was about half an hour ago,” Seven continued. “I heard your voice. It was just a little whimper, but then I looked and saw you were crying so I came over. Sorry I woke you.”

Sice scratched the back of her head and slowly lay back down, facing Seven. “No, that’s okay,” she said quietly. “It’ll be like old times, right?” Seven recalled when Arecia had first taken Sice in. She was the only one to notice that Sice cried in her sleep each night for a week after her arrival. And each of those nights, Seven would gently shake Sice awake and hand her a few tissues. A low “Thanks” would be Sice’s only response, until one night when Seven found herself being shaken awake. “Move over,” Sice would mutter, and Seven would oblige, allowing the younger girl to rest her head against her chest and sleep soundly. After a few of these occurrences, Sice tended to sleep just fine, but Seven always kept an eye out, just in case.

“Just like old times,” Seven whispered with a smile. She pressed her lips gently against Sice’s forehead and closed her eyes. Some things didn’t really change. Or, maybe they did. A few seconds later, Seven felt Sice’s lips against hers, and her eyes fluttered open. She hardly had time to reciprocate the kiss before Sice pulled away, smiling and looking up into her eyes. “Goodnight, Seven.”


	20. Carry On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen ever-so-innocently walks in on Sice and Seven during their alone time.

“Am I interrupting something?” Queen really did have a bad habit of popping out of nowhere at the most inappropriate of times. Seven stood from her kneeling position in front of Sice and greeted Queen. “No, not really. But you did startle us. I could’ve sworn that door was locked…” Queen’s eyes moved over to Sice’s red face. “What’re you looking at? Quit that!” Sice seemed to be quite on edge. Queen chuckled at the confirmation of her suspicions. Not that there was ever really any doubt.

“Just hurry up and tell us what you want!” Sice pressed. “Me and Seven want some time _alone_.” At that, Queen adjusted her glasses. “Is that so? I see, then…Never mind.” Sice and Seven briefly exchanged puzzled looks. “Wait,” Seven said. “So, did you need something?” Queen gave her classmates a smile that held a hint of mischief. “No. Next time, though.” With that, she left the room and locked the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queen isn't innocent at all. She totally picked the lock. That or she had an extra key; you decide.


	21. A Hug and Hella Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice did something she regrets...

As soon as she heard a sniffle, Seven knew something was wrong. “Sice?” Her girlfriend didn’t respond, instead remaining hunched over on her bed. Seven closed the door behind her, then walked over and sat down. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” It was clear now that Sice was trembling, holding in sobs. Seven hugged the younger girl from behind. “It’s okay to cry. You need to let it out.” A few moments of silence passed. Sice didn’t push Seven away, which she took as a good sign.

A kiss on the shoulder made Sice jump slightly. “Gotcha,” Seven teased. She began to hum a tune to fill in for Sice’s lack of words. It was peaceful and familiar, Sice noted, but she couldn’t quite remember where it was from. Still, it calmed her. The tears blurring her vision eventually came to a stop and she opened her mouth to speak. “We can, I mean…I’m ready to talk now.” Seven released her hold so that Sice could turn around to face her. “I’m all yours. I mean, all ears.” A faint smile came to Sice’s face for a quick second, then faded.

“So what’s wrong?” Seven asked. Sice wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Uh…I sort of…played episode four.” Seven’s perplexed state of mind instantly became visible on her face. “Life is Strange?” Sice nodded. “I’m sorry, Seven. I just-” “We were supposed to do this together.” “I know, but I-” “You promised.” Seven’s voice cracked and Sice’s heart sank. “Sice.” Seven cupped Sice’s cheeks and lifted her lowered head. “Sice, let’s take a break.” Sice did her best to remain calm and drew in a deep breath. “Okay.”

Seven then planted a kiss on Sice’s forehead. “Take a break and get some smoothies, dumb-dumb. Come on.” She stood up and offered her hand, which Sice took almost impulsively. “You can be a real ass sometimes. I oughta spoil it.” “Don’t you dare.” “You’re right. I should let your unsuspecting soul be crushed just like mine was.” Seven shook her head. “I’m looking forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life is Strange because why not? Also I am obsessed and episode 4 still has me wrecked.


	22. Scrape then Bake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the days of a considerably younger Class Zero, Seven is in charge when Arecia is out. Does that stop Nine and Sice from fighting? Of course not. Now it's Seven's job to clean up that scrape on Sice's elbow. What a sweet girl. But not as sweet as Mother's recipe for cookies~

Sice groaned as the healing magic patched up her scraped elbow. “You really should be more careful,” Seven admonished. Sice rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like it was my fault. Nine’s the one who provoked me.” The wound closed quickly, but there was still a stinging throb in the area. “I know it’s hard to get along sometimes,” Seven said. “But you need to control yourself and not attack your teammates. Outside of combat practice, that is.” She gave a faint smile, to which Sice responded by rolling her eyes again. “Yeesh, who do you think you are, Mother?”

“Well,” Seven said, gripping Sice’s arm and beginning to give a strange sort of massage. “I am in charge when she is out. I take care of the rest of you pretty well, I think. And…” She brought her lips to Sice’s elbow and made just the slightest contact. “When you get a boo-boo, I kiss it better.” Sice jerked her arm away, noticing now that her elbow had stopped hurting. “Yeah, okay,” she said, turning her head away for some reason she didn’t quite understand. “What do you want, a cookie for your valiant efforts?”

Seven’s eyes lit up at those words. “Well, Mother did teach you her recipe the other day. If I’m supervising you, I don’t think she’d mind if we borrowed the kitchen.” “Oh, you’re serious,” Sice said, recalling her companions’ love for the cookies that were prepared for them from time to time. No one could ever get enough. “Hmm, I guess it should be fine if I make a batch…But Nine doesn’t get any.” Seven’s smile turned into a scowl. “ _Sice_.” “Fine,” Sice sighed. “I’ll start on the dough.” She began to walk toward the kitchen and Seven nodded. “I’ll be right there, love. I just need to check on the others.”

“Love.” What exactly did that mean? Sice pondered this as she searched for flour. “I had to wake King up, but the others will be fine with him watching.” Seven’s voice startled the young baker and pulled her from her thoughts. “Hm? Is something wrong?” Seven always could read the others well. “No,” Sice said. “I was just thinking.” “About what?” “Uh, nothing. I mean, I think I’ll figure it out in time.”

And she did.


	23. Dear Diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of diary entries by Sice. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

“Mother said I should keep a diary if I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Honestly I think it’s kind of stupid, but Mother’s always right so…

 

I don’t even know what to write. It’s not like we did anything today. I could write about Nine being an idiot, but that’d fill this whole book up and I still wouldn’t be done. And Machina…I won’t bother to get started with him either. Seven was acting a little weird today. I wonder what her deal is.”

 

“We went on a mission. It took less than two whole days. Me, Seven, and short stuff were teamed up. The mission itself was easy enough, but I couldn’t focus as well. I kept thinking about Seven a lot for some reason. I never really noticed how graceful she is in battle. My opposite. And I caught her eyeing me a few times too. I wonder what she thinks of my battle style. My guess is she thinks I’m a bloodthirsty savage. That is how I act on the battlefield. And off it, too. It’s not all me, though. The malice fucks me up sometimes. It’s not my fault, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.”

 

“Cinque asked me why I looked so down. What’s with that? It’s not like I can just go around smiling for no reason like some people. Then Deuce said I looked upset, and Rem agreed. What’s it to the newbie? Everyone’s acting weird.”

 

“Yup, Seven’s a total weirdo. I was just sitting down, minding my own business, and then she comes and plops down right next to me. And then she grabs my hand. What the hell.

 

But at least her hand was soft. Having her there felt kind of good.”

 

“I. Hate. The. Female. Reproductive. System.”

 

“Seven got me a cinnamon roll. I thought they were all out. And she gave me this dumb smile when I ate it. It was cute. Dumb, but cute.”

 

“Another mission. Quick and easy, but I’ve got a ton of pent up malice and it has me on edge. I really need to find a way to let this stuff out. Besides mowing down more enemies on the next mission. Maybe I’ll ask Seven. She’s probably the most down-to-earth person in the class.”

 

“I’m writing about Seven a lot. I’m not sure if that’s a normal thing or…?”

 

“She hugged me. She hugged me. I don’t know why she hugged me but it made me feel really weird. Not a bad type of weird, but an exhilarating type of weird. Like when I’ve just wrecked a bunch of Militesi soldiers and my heart’s pounding, except without all the bloodlust. It’s like a happy type of weird. I kind of want to do it again.”

 

“Huh. So this is what a crush is like. Laaaame.”

 

“She has to be doing it on purpose. The way she brushes her hair out of her face. It’s killing me. And the way her eyes light up when she smiles. She’s going to drive me crazy.”

 

“This is ridiculous. My heart shouldn’t be beating this hard because of the mere thought of a single person. Sheesh. I need to get over this pronto.”

 

“SHE ASKED IF I WAS OKAY AND PATTED MY HAIR AND LET ME REST MY HEAD ON HER TITS WHICH ARE REALLY REALLY SOFT BY THE WAY.”

 

“Queen teased me and Seven about our handholding. Seven didn’t say anything. I told Queen to shut the hell up. Still held onto Seven’s hand though. Shit’s warm and soft and perfect. And it makes me feel like I’m at home.”

 

“Crap. I think Seven’s catching on. Well, I have to confess at some point.”

* * *

 

“Okay, I haven’t been writing in here for a while but Mother said to keep the diary if I didn’t want to talk. But I have been talking. To Seven. Did I mention we’re girlfriends now? I’m so stupidly happy.”

 

“Dear Diary, Seven is a goddess. P.S. We found a way to get rid of my malice.”


	24. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tale of Sice's first day with the children who would become Class Zero.

Seven carefully watched the injured girl through the cracked door. The newcomer’s tiny pale hand raised a spoonful of warm soup to her chapped lips. As the broth made its way down her throat, the softest smile formed on her face. “There you are.” Arecia’s voice startled Seven, who turned around to face her caretaker. “I’m sorry, Mother. I was being nosy.” Arecia simply smiled and knelt to better look at her eldest protégé.

“Seven, I actually have an assignment for you regarding that girl.” Seven stiffened. An assignment? She’d carry it out, of course. But how difficult would the task be? Seven was used to receiving the jobs that required the most diligence, but new things still made her just the tiniest bit nervous. “Her name is Sice,” Arecia continued. “I’m going to introduce her to everyone in the morning. Seven, I want you to watch over her until she’s comfortable here. You know well that I am often absent from this place, so I want you to take care of Sice. Can you do that?”

Seven nodded eagerly. “Yes, Mother!” She rather enjoyed new company, and she presumed that getting Sice acquainted with everyone shouldn’t be too difficult. They were actually quite a welcoming bunch. Yes, this assignment would be easy, and fun, too. “Very well,” Arecia said, standing up straight. “It’s about time for you to get to bed. I’ll see you in the morning, sweetheart.” With a “Goodnight, Mother,” Seven made her way to bed and soon drifted off to sleep in the midst of her thoughts of what the morning would bring.

Sunrise came soon enough, and Seven planted her feet on the floor and began stretching. Everyone else was still asleep, of course. That had mostly been a constant for as long as they’d been under Arecia’s care. After contemplating for a moment, Seven crawled back into bed. The second person to rise was usually Deuce, and she probably wouldn’t wake for another half hour or so. About an hour that, the others normally got up except for Ace. It was always a struggle getting him out of bed…

Seven yawned and closed her eyes for a quick nap. She might need an energy boost to take extra care of Sice. The nap was indeed quick; Seven woke up feeling almost as if she’d never gone back to sleep, though she could recall some receding images from a dream: a clear sky, some flowers, and an animal but she couldn’t remember what kind. “Come on, Seven,” Cinque said, tugging at Seven’s sleeve. “Mothers wants to talk to all of us.” Okay, maybe the nap hadn’t been so quick. Seven sat up and looked out the window. The sun was high in the sky now. Just how long had she been asleep? Nevermind that; she had to go join the others. Calculating her approximate amount of sleep wasn’t going to change anything. After a quick stretch, Seven walked speedily to the next room and joined the other children sitting in a circle.

“It seems everyone is present,” Arecia said, taking a final glance at her pupils. “First, I’d like you all to know that last night, I took in a new child. This is Sice, and she will be with us from now on. Please, make her feel welcome.” She stepped aside to reveal a girl with messy white hair, pale blue eyes, and several bruises all over her body. “Hiya, Sice!” Jack greeted, waving his hand in the air. Deuce gave a polite, “Hello,” and the others gave a mix of short informal greetings and friendly gestures.

Sice didn’t seem to look at her new companions at all; instead, her gaze was fixed on the wall behind them. “Hi,” was all she said. When it seemed that that was all there was to the initial introduction, Arecia spoke again. “Second, you are aware that I have a very important job. I must go tend to that job now. I’ll return within a couple of days. While I am gone, please read the pages I mentioned yesterday.” She began to walk away, and Seven noticed Sice’s slightly panicked body language, an arm automatically reaching out for Arecia before returning to its original place. “And please, make Sice feel at home.”

Sice glanced around at the others for the first time. Apparently it was normal for them to be left alone for days. It didn’t sit very well with Sice, which she found strange considering the amount of time she’d spent in an environment without adults. No matter; she’d just tough this one out like she did every other thing. “Yo, Sice!” As the other children had begun to fetch textbooks, Nine had approached Sice. The instantaneous response from Sice was, “The hell are you lookin’ at?” The smile on Nine’s scarred face disappeared. “Hey, the new girl’s pretty. Pretty bitchy.”

“The hell did you say?!” Sice took a fighting stance. Nine shifted his feet and raised his fists, preparing for battle as well. “You heard me. You’re bein’ a total bitch-Ah!” Nine rubbed the area on his head that Queen had just struck. “Is that any way to treat someone you just met?” Queen reprimanded. “You must learn to better control yourself, Nine.” Nine pointed to Sice with one hand, the other still massaging his head. “Tell _her_ that! She’s rude as hell!” Seven sighed and reluctantly joined the fray in an attempt to settle things. “Please calm down. Nine, Sice, you were both rude to one another. Please apologize to each other and don’t use that language again. Also, Queen, it was unnecessary to hit Nine. Don’t do it again.”

“It’s the only way to get through to him,” Queen sighed to herself before leaving to supervise the others’ retrieval of textbooks. “And who are you?” Sice asked. Seven straightened her slightly slouching back, maximizing their height difference. “My name is Seven. I’m in charge when Mother is gone, and I’ve specifically been assigned to take care of you.” After a moment of hesitation, Sice lowered her head. “If Mother says you’re in charge then I guess I have no choice…” She looked up at Nine. “Sorry.” Nine nodded. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Relieved, Seven sighed. She had a feeling that the situation could’ve ended up a lot worse. “Okay,” she said. “The others should have all the books out by now. We’re all going to read about Potions. Come on.” Sice and Nine followed Seven to some tables where the others were sitting with open textbooks. Seven sat at the head of the table and Sice sat near her, across from Cater. Nine took the only empty seat left, which was between King and Queen. “You know, I feel like this isn’t a coincidence,” he grumbled. “Like I’m in the time-out corner…”

Ignoring Nine, Queen began to read aloud. “A Potion is a healing item that…Cater, are you listening?” Cater rubbed her eye and yawned. “Yeah. Even if it is super boring. You know Seven over here’s making sure I stay awake.” Queen exchanged a glance with Seven, nodded, then continued reading. For an hour. After finally finishing the chapter, Ace, Deuce, Cater, Cinque, Eight, Nine, and Jack all retreated to bed.

“I’ll put up the books,” Queen said, closing each one carefully. She skipped over Trey, who remained seated, continuing to read. “King, can you make lunch for everyone?” Seven requested. King seemed lost in thought for a minute. Finally, he asked, “Is ramen alright? I know you’d probably prefer some fruit, but…” “It’s fine,” Seven said. “Just make enough for everyone else. I’ll find something for myself. And Sice, if you’re not a big fan of noodles I can find you something else too-” “Why so concerned about me?” Seven was caught off guard by that question, though the answer was simple enough: “I’m supposed to take care of you. So I’ll give you my very best.”

Sice found the way Seven smiled at her to be strange, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to ruin the joy in those violet eyes. Not just yet. She sure didn’t mind spoiling Queen’s fun, though. “What’s so funny?” she asked the bespectacled giggling girl. “Nothing,” Queen replied, the smile on her face making it even more obvious that she’d just told a big fat lie. Sice gave her a suspicious look before being led into the kitchen by Seven.

“I’m going to make a salad,” Seven said as King began to boil some noodles. “Is there anything you’d like, Sice? We have plenty of fruits and vegetables, and I could cook some meat if you want. And there’s the ramen King is making, of course. We’re nowhere near Mother’s level of skill, but our cooking is edible, I assure you.” Sice scanned the room, then looked at the floor. “I’ll just have whatever you’re having. Or applesauce, if you have that.”

Two hours later, Ace was asleep, Deuce was coloring with Cinque, Trey was attempting to explain something he’d read to a very confused Cater, Jack was telling Eight _something_ in the middle of the latter’s push-up contest with Nine, Queen was whispering in King’s ear, and Seven was watching Sice consume her eighteenth cup of applesauce. Seven didn’t want to be rude, but eighteen was pretty excessive in her opinion. “You don’t have to eat _all_ of it, you know.”

Sice licked any remaining applesauce from the bottom of the cup and swallowed. “Yeah I do.” Her mind seemed to go somewhere else, somewhere dark. “I have to. If I ever have a chance to, I have to eat until I’m full. So full I can barely even move.” Silently, Seven placed a hand on Sice’s head and began sifting her fingers through the tangled white hair. Surprisingly, Sice didn’t reject the touch. Seven thought about what to say. She should choose her words carefully; but what could she really say besides… “Are you full now?”

Sice leaned into Seven’s hand. “…Huh. Yeah, I guess so…” She then snapped back to attention, taking a step back with a faint pink tinge on her cheeks. “Uh, I’m gonna go to bed early.” Sice’s brief moment of fluster brought a smile to Seven’s face. “Your bed’s right across from mine. Here, I’ll show you.” Sice followed Seven, looking back once at Queen’s mischievous grin. What was that all about?

Seven patted a neatly made bed. “This one’s yours. You can get ready for bed and sleep away, like Ace up there.” She motioned toward Ace’s sleeping form in a top bunk. Sice gave Seven a nod. “Thanks.” Seven smiled. “And one more thing, Sice. How was your first day?” Sice hadn’t been anticipating that question at all and took a little while to come up with an answer. “It was…It was okay. I mean, I learned some new stuff and had a ton of applesauce. And I’ve got you. Wait, no, that didn’t come out right.” Seven placed a hand on Sice’s shoulder. “No, you were right. You have me. If you ever need someone to talk to, help with something, a shoulder to cry on – anything. You have me, okay? I’ll take care of you.”

Sice tried desperately not to take those words to heart, but she failed. She offered Seven a hardly visible, quick, but sincere, smile. “Thank you.” “Sweet dreams,” Seven said, returning the smile. She kept her eyes on Sice as she left, until she turned the corner and the younger girl was no longer visible. The first day was often difficult because so much was new, and things could be quite chaotic. But Seven felt that she’d made Sice’s first day bearable, and that gave her joy. Joy equal to the smugness in Queen’s smirk. What was that all about?


	25. Sleeping Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice wakes up in the early morning hours and takes note of Seven, who is still asleep next to her.

This was a perplexing situation. Sice never woke up before Seven, ever; but there she was, conscious, pressed between Seven’s hand and chest, listening to hardly audible snores. Judging from the lack of footsteps and conversation outside the door, it wasn’t time to prepare for class yet. They probably had a good two, maybe three hours left. And it seemed that Seven was going to put those hours to good use.

If Sice could’ve shifted any closer to Seven, she would’ve. However, she noticed, Seven was already holding her as close as possible. It was a firm hold, solid as if to protect her, but Seven’s hand was also gentle, her fingers tracing small light circles even in deep sleep. Had it always been like that? Sice hadn’t really ever had the chance to see – or rather, feel – how Seven slept. The sun had yet to rise and she couldn’t really make anything out with her eyes. Not that it was necessary. The feel of Seven’s warm, soft skin was more than enough.

A smile crept onto Sice’s face and she didn’t try to stop it. She was happy to be there with the person she loved, the person who loved her back, the one who always looked out for her, the one who wanted to make her feel safe – even without being awake. She was happy to be in bed with her body practically melded into Seven’s. She was happy to be home.


	26. Drowsy Confidante

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even when she's sleepy, Seven's a good confidante. And kinda flirty, too.

Reluctantly, Sice took a seat on the edge of Seven’s bed. Honestly, it was so embarrassing. “Hey,” she nearly whispered. Seven stirred a little and rolled over beneath her sheets to face Sice’s back. “Something wrong?” Her voice was calm and soothing as always, just what Sice needed. Come to think of it, it was almost like a blanket: soft and comfortable; something to get wrapped up in and fall asleep to.

Sice took a slow, deep breath and then sighed. “I just feel more irritable than usual. You know, with the war going on and everyone depending on us. That’s all.” Seven sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around Sice’s waist. “Yeah,” she murmured. “I know. But that’s a big ‘us,’ Sice. You’re not alone in this. Remember that.” With a sleepy sigh, she nuzzled the back of Sice’s neck.

“I-I will,” Sice stuttered as the older girl’s hair tickled her skin. “Uh, Seven?” “Hm?” Seven moved her chin to rest on Sice’s shoulder. “I…Thanks. For everything.” Sice tried to stand, but Seven didn’t seem to be letting go of her waist. “Why don’t you stay here tonight?” Seven asked to Sice’s surprise. “Just right here. With me.” Sice hesitated a moment. Even if she was sleepy, Seven was very capable of making rational decisions – or in this case, suggestions – so why was she acting so weird? Well, maybe it wasn’t that weird. Maybe the concept of weirdness was something that varied from person to person.

“Seven?” It wasn’t a bad idea. Sharing Seven’s bed, her warmth, getting to inhale her scent and feel her skin, probably finally being able to get some decent sleep. It all sounded quite appealing. “Sice?” Seven’s lips brushed against Sice’s bare shoulder. Sice brought a hand up to one of Seven’s hands that was resting on her waist. “Is this your half-awake attempt to seduce me?” After a pause, Seven began to laugh quietly. “Maybe, Sice. Maybe.” Sice shifted and began to make room for herself beneath Seven’s sheets. “Well, I can’t say it’s not working.” She crawled into bed and moved around a little until she was in a comfortable position. “But I’m tired and you’re hardly conscious. So how about you continue your attempt in the morning?” Smiling, Seven let her eyes fall shut as she threw an arm over Sice’s body and pulled her closer. “Fine by me.”


	27. Finis, Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice's anger at Machina causes her to lose her temper for a moment. But even at the end of the world, Seven is calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but for real, I don't even know what this is. This is pretty terrible honestly.

So the time had come. Tempus Finis. The dominion was in chaos. No wonder some of her classmates were panicking, Seven thought. And then Nine reminded her of another thing: “Where’d that punk Machina go off to? Rem’s in trouble! She needs him, that jerk!” It was a good question. Seven pondered Machina’s whereabouts. “Since all of us remember who Machina is, that’s proof that he’s still alive.”

Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to throw her thoughts out in the open. Sice had definitely never been fond of Machina, but she seemed to have snapped when Seven expressed even the slightest interest in where he might be at a time like this. She stepped forward, her eyes a bit more menacing than usual. “So where is he then?” Though she was surprised, Seven maintained her calm, cool exterior as always. It was strange for Sice to act this way. Well, toward her, anyway.

“Sice.” Seven’s voice was authoritative, but not aggressive. Still, it only seemed to push Sice further. The younger girl snarled. “Oh, quit the big sister bullcrap.” She took steps forward, invading Seven’s personal space. “You always act so collected and unfazed by everything. Maybe you can stay relaxed at the end of the world, but some of us don’t have that luxury!” Her face was inches from Seven’s now, and Seven’s expression remained blank. “…Don’t patronize me!” She raised her fist before hesitating and then lowering it.

“Damn it. Seven, I’m sorry.” Sice took a step back. “I guess Class Zero is starting to fall apart, huh?” Seven looked around at her classmates. “No, I don’t think so.” She extended an arm to Sice and brought her into a light hug. Sice took a deep breath against Seven’s shoulder, and her hair tickled Seven’s nose. Truthfully, Seven had missed having this type of contact with Sice. The last time she’d been able to embrace her was when they were children. “I think Class Zero is coming together.”

It was then that Sice remembered that the rest of the class was watching, and she pushed herself away from Seven. In an attempt to hide her embarrassment, she cracked her knuckles and smirked. “So let’s go save the world.” She paused, then added, “Together.”


	28. Trust Me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice isn't so great at pursuing love. Fortunately, she has lots of support.

“So, how’s it going?” Emina asked, resting an elbow on Sice’s shoulder. Sice continued her history assignment. “How’s what going?” Emina’s grin widened. “You know… _Seven_?” Sice’s hand twitched and she nearly dropped her pen. “Oh…that. It’s going fine, I guess.” Emina sat down in the chair across from Sice. “You haven’t talked to her at all, have you?” Sice didn’t respond. “Just as I thought. You know, I didn’t take you for the shy type.” After that comment, Sice rolled her eyes. “Well do you have any bright ideas, Ms. Romance Expert?” Immediately, she regretted asking that question.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Emina replied. “My…associates and I have set up the perfect plan. Come with me. And, bring that homework or whatever you’ve got there.” Sighing, Sice followed her self-proclaimed wingwoman to the Crystarium. “Alright,” Emina said. “This is where I leave you. Your mission is to ask Seven for help with your work there. And then, casually ask her to help you practice the Sacred Fusion of the Phoenix.” Sice cocked an eyebrow. “And just what the hell is that?” Emina smirked. “Trust me. Now, I must be off!” With a wink, she disappeared behind a corner.

Sice took a deep breath. This whole thing was beyond idiotic, but Emina would force her to do it one way or another. Better to get it over with sooner. Though Sice’s normal scowl wasn’t quite present, it seemed that most of the students had been conditioned to stay out of her path and avoided her anyway as she approached Seven. “Uh, hi,” she said nervously, taking a seat. “I needed help with a couple things, if that’s alright.” Seven looked up from her book. “Oh, sure thing. What is it?” Sice looked at her history work. There was only one question left to finish, and she knew the answer. Really, it was pointless to even ask about it. She set the work aside. “Actually, it was only one thing.”

Behind a nearby bookcase, Emina and Queen watched. “Do you really think this will go well?” Queen asked. “It’s in the bag,” Emina assured her. “In that case,” Queen said, rising from her crouching position, “I’m going to check on Ryid’s work.” She walked over to where Ryid was sitting, only a couple tables over from Seven and Sice. Making sure not to get caught looking, she glanced once at the two before taking a seat. “How is the progress?” she whispered. Ryid looked up from his paper and smiled. “The lighting is perfect, my creative juices are flowing, and this piece is nearly complete.” He slid the sheet of paper across the table to Queen.

“Amazing!” Queen said quietly, gaping at Ryid’s artwork. He’d drawn Seven and Sice seated at the table not too far from them, but somehow made them look even better than in real life. He’d added a few artistic touches, most notably a change in their facial expressions: they were gazing at each other intensely, longingly. “Please,” Queen said, sliding the paper back to Ryid. “Finish this masterpiece.” Ryid gave a simple nod and continued to draw while Queen stood up and returned to Emina’s spot behind the bookcase.

“Ryid is one amazing artist,” Queen reported. Emina watched as Sice and Seven stood up from their table. “Yeah, we’re lucky to have him. Okay, silence now.” Seven searched the shelves on the opposite side of the bookcase, with Sice right beside her. “Phoenix…Sacred, might be an older- Oh! Here it is.” Seven opened to the book’s index. “Is there anything in particular you needed help with, Sice?” Sice scratched her head. What even was the Sacred Fusion of the Phoenix? It sounded like some complicated team battle move. “Uh…the whole thing, I guess.”

Seven flipped to the front of the book. “Okay, then, I guess we can start with-” She froze. “Sice. You’re sure you want to do this? With me, of all people?” She brought her hand to her chest and almost smiled, as if flattered. Sice looked over Seven’s shoulder. “Well, yeah, I…Oh. OH.” Her mind immediately went blank as all the blood in her body rose to her cheeks. “I didn’t know you felt that way,” Seven continued. She smiled and closed the book. “Wow. Let’s, um, let’s go on a date then!” Her cheeks were rosy now, but a little embarrassment wasn’t going to get in the way of her joy.

Seven gave Sice a peck on the lips and then giggled, “We can practice this Sacred Fusion of the Phoenix, too, sometime.” Giving a final, huge smile, Seven practically frolicked away from a dumbfounded Sice. When she was out of sight, Emina appeared from behind the bookcase. “I told you to trust me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emina and Sice being such pals is based on the headcanon that they actually had a lot in common regarding their pasts and eventually ended up bonding over it.


	29. Gag Reel: Take One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spawns of borderline crack headcanons tossed around.

            Seven was rather exhausted after the night’s events, but the sound of sniffling immediately made her alert again. “Sice?” She shook the girl resting on top of her. “Sice, are you okay?” Sice looked up, her hands still tangled in Seven’s hair. “Huh? No, why – wait, what’s that?” She heard it too. The sniffles, and then a little whimper. Someone was crying, and it wasn’t either of the cadets in bed.

            Seven turned her head with fear, and Sice with anger. Simultaneously, they both shouted, “QUEEN?!” Queen sat on the bed across the room, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “H-How long have you been here?” Seven asked, not really wanting to hear the answer. Queen clenched her fists, passionately proclaiming, “I saw the whole thing! It’s the most beautiful display of affection I’ve ever witnessed!” After a few seconds of silence and shock, Sice summoned her scythe. “Get out. Now.”

* * *

Honestly, all Cater wanted was some peace and quiet for once in her life. Some decent sleep was what she craved, but it always eluded her. No thanks to her noisy neighbors. “Come on, you guys!” Cater shouted, banging on the door. She gripped the doorknob, surprised to find that it was unlocked. Shrugging, she entered. It wasn’t like she’d stumble upon anything she hadn’t seen before. She’d walked in on them, what, six times now? It really didn’t even matter-

“QUEEN, you too?!”

“I can explain!”

“That’s it, I’m telling Mother!”

“Please, Cater, no! I beg of you!”

“I knew you were thirsty, but-”

“Cater, I’m so sorry you had to see this! I swear, this was completely spontaneous. Sice and I weren’t-”

“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!”

* * *

 

Even the simpler days weren’t that simple.

            “What’s the matter with you?” Sice asked as she walked into one of the smallest rooms in the facility. The room contained a chair, three beds, and lots of medical supplies. Two of the beds were currently occupied by Seven and Queen, who just looked up at her with empty expressions. “Hey, Sice,” Seven sighed. Sice took a seat in the chair. “Hey. Okay, but seriously, what’s wrong with the two of you? You look like you’re dying or somethin’.” “Well, we are in pain,” Queen said.

            Sice took another look at them, as if analyzing their condition. “Ah, I got it…So that’s why Mother gave us that talk.” A smug grin took over her face. “It’s totally that time of the month, huh? Sucks for you!” Seven and Queen let out a mutual frustrated groan while Sice let out a wicked laugh. “Listen,” Seven said. “You’re being very immature, and Sice, you’re almost twelve now. It could happen to you at any time.” Sice stood up and stretched. “Yeah, and I’ll be fine. Because I’m strong, and, I hate to be the one to break it to ya, but you’re weak.”

            About a year and a half later, Seven stood over Sice, who was in bed groaning in pain. “Who’s weak now?” Seven repressed the urge to smirk. “No, I have it worse than you,” Sice groaned. “Ugh, can’t you use Cure or something? I’m bleedin’ here.” Seven sat on the edge of Sice’s bed. “Cure won’t do anything, because nothing’s wrong. This is completely natural. Just think, you get to experience it _every month_.” Sice whimpered pathetically, and Seven began to rub her belly. Truthfully, Sice probably did have it worse, based on her rather pitiful response. Why not cut her some slack?


	30. Addiction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice is...complicated.

            Sice cursed herself as she stumbled through the darkness, only half awake. She’d allowed it to happen again. No matter how many times she swore to herself that she’d keep her distance, that she wouldn’t be tempted, that she wouldn’t even think about it, she still ended up in Seven’s bed more nights than not. She searched with her hands for something, anything to wear so that she could return to her own room. Feeling different fabrics, vivid flashbacks of the night before came rushing to her consciousness. The adrenaline, the hunger, the pleasure, the pain, and the shame. It was all there.

            _Real smart,_ Sice thought sarcastically, putting on a shirt – or at least what felt like one. She’d allowed herself to be seduced, over and over. At this point is was like an addiction. What really got to her though was that she wasn’t sure just what was so addicting about her classmate. It couldn’t have just been her body…though her body was something to marvel at, for sure. It was those violet eyes; it was that ghost of lavender scent that could only really be experienced inside her personal – very personal – space; it was her very presence, her smile and occasional smirk, her voice and every word that she spoke – “Sice.”

            Sice slipped into a pair of shorts and continued toward the door, still trying to shake the fog from her mind. She just needed to get out- “Sice.” Seven’s voice was closer, much closer. Sice needed to leave, quickly. She reached for the door handle, but just before she could reach it a hand caught her wrist. “I need to leave,” Sice said quietly. Seven stepped forward, pressing her back against Sice’s. “You can stay,” she whispered into Sice’s ear. Sice stood frozen. _Damn it._ No matter how hard she tried to escape, just three words had her questioning her motives. Why was she trying so hard to leave anyway? _Duh, because this is totally inappropriate. For two cadets to be…_

            “Sice. Do you remember? Last night?” Sice tried so hard to force the memories to the back of her mind, but they were there. They were there and they were clear and she could practically feel Seven’s mouth all over her. She could hear herself whimpering and groaning and panting and speaking. Speaking. Those accursed words echoed in her head as Seven continued speaking to her. “You remember what you said, right? You said that you loved me. You finally, finally said it.” Sice bared her teeth as Seven’s voice, drenched with relief and gratitude, reached her ears.

            “Oh, hell.” “What’s wrong?” Seven asked, alarmed. Sice turned around, freeing her wrist from Seven’s grasp, and violently captured Seven’s lips with her own. As she bit Seven’s lower lip, she cursed herself again. She was always being seduced by this one person who could peel away every layer and see her in her most vulnerable state. Yet, she always initiated things. Even if Seven ended up in control, things always started with Sice’s return to this incurable addiction.

            “Sice-” Seven was pushed to the floor, unable to see Sice but able to hear her ravenous breathing. It sounded as if she had some pent up malice demanding release. This wouldn’t be the first time. So, Seven allowed Sice to ravage her, there on the floor of her room with too much urgency to reach the bed. She didn’t mind, though. It was for Sice’s sake. Whatever Sice needed, she was all for it. Because… “Sice, I love you.”


	31. Broth & Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into the past, specifically the time Sice didn't heed Seven's warning about staying outside too long in the cooling weather.

“If you don’t get your filthy hands off me, I swear I will – ” “You’re sick,” Seven said, removing her hand from Sice’s forehead. “Huh?” Sice asked, pushing Seven’s other hand off her shoulder. “The heck are you talking about? I’m fine.” Seven took another look at the younger girl: dilated pupils, slightly slower movements, super pale all over, and a low body temperature. “No, definitely sick,” Seven reiterated. “I told you not to stay outside too long, especially when it starts getting cold.” Sice rolled her eyes as Seven began to blame herself out loud and brainstorm what she could do to help.

“I’ll get you a blanket,” Seven said, looking back and forth between different areas of their home. “Uh, and some soup. You should go lie down. Or sit on your bed if you prefer. And I’ll try to find some-” “For crying out loud,” Sice groaned. “I said I’m fine. Sheesh, you’re not Mother.” She sneezed, and Seven immediately handed her a tissue. Where it came from, Sice wasn’t sure. But, it was being offered to her and she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to wipe away the viscous substance oozing from her nostrils.

“I know I’m not,” Seven said as Sice wiped her nose, careful not to get any snot on her hands. “But I still see it as my job to take care of you. All of you. Especially when Mother is away. So just let me help you, okay?” Sice threw away the tissue and yawned. “Fine, fine, if it’ll save your fragile ego.” It really wasn’t about her ego at all, but Seven didn’t feel like arguing. “Okay, get to bed then. I’ll be right there with a blanket.”

To Seven’s relief, there was no further protest and Sice retreated to her bed. Seven followed, but stopped at a closet to retrieve a blanket before continuing on to cover Sice with the new layer of warmth. “How’s that?” Sice curled up a little by instinct. “A little better,” she admitted. “…Now where’s that soup?” Seven smiled at the slightly pouting, pale face giving her a (was that supposed to be threatening?) glare. “I’m on it.” She turned and began making her way toward the kitchen, and Sice sighed. “So lame.”

“Really?” Nine’s voice startled Sice. The boy peeked over the foot of Sice’s bed, then walked around to the side and sat on the edge. “I woulda thought you’d like being pampered by Seven, yo.” “Not while I’m sick.” Sice rolled her eyes. “You really are dumb.” In response to the insult, Nine gave Sice’s stomach a forceful poke through the covers. The resulting squeak from Sice’s mouth caused Nine to laugh out loud, and Seven to come rushing back into the room. “Nine! What did you do? Sice, please stay in bed.” Seven rushed over to hold Sice’s shoulders, keeping her from getting out of bed and initiating a fist fight.

“Oh, it’s sunset,” Nine said, slowly backing away. “Guess I’ll get ready for bed then!” He dashed off, too quickly for Seven to catch – at least while she was looking after Sice. It wasn’t a problem though; Queen would undoubtedly scold him for running about. “Bed,” Sice scoffed. “Like that idiot would go to bed this early…Hey, how’s that soup coming along?” It was a good question. One that Seven should definitely check the answer to. She slipped into the kitchen to find King tending the stove. “Came back right on time,” he said, cutting off the heat. Seven gave a grateful nod and began to pour a bowl. “Thanks. It looks like Sice got sick from being outside too long.” King made a small sound in understanding. “I trust you’ve got it then. You’re always looking out for her.” Seven thought about that statement for a moment. Of course she was always looking out for Sice. She was looking out for everybody. Maybe she was just reading too much into what King was saying. Yeah, that was it. King was the type to say what he meant with no hidden meaning behind his words.

“Yeah,” Seven said, placing a spoon in the bowl and carefully picking it up. She carried it to Sice’s bed, and Sice sat up, looking rather eager to receive the warm sustenance. “Here,” Seven said, handing the bowl to Sice. “It’s pretty warm, so be careful. But do try to keep your hands on the bowl. I think that should help with your fingers.” Sice took the bowl and looked at her fingers. They were just a tad blue, and now that she thought about it, they were nearly numb. The warmth from the bowl felt good, though. “Can you lift the spoon alright?” Seven asked. Sice tried wiggling her fingers. She probably could eat the soup just fine on her own, but since Seven seemed to be offering…

“No, don’t think so,” Sice said. As she’d predicted, Seven took the spoon and lifted some broth to her mouth. “Here. We’ve got to warm up that belly of yours one way or another.” Sice rolled her eyes and allowed Seven to feed her. The soup wasn’t anything close to Mother’s, but it felt good going down her throat, warming her up. The whole situation was nice, really: relaxing in bed, covered by blankets, being spoon-fed nice warm soup by the coolest person in the- wait, no, not the coolest but…yeah, Seven was pretty cool.

“What’s that smile for?” Seven asked, feeding Sice another spoonful of soup. Sice swallowed. “Uh, nothing. You’re just…warm, that’s all.” Seven set the now empty bowl aside. “You’re still cold, aren’t you?” Sice didn’t respond with words, but scratched her cheek a little and looked away. “You don’t have to tell me,” Seven said. “I’ve got your back.” She pulled back the blanket she’d given Sice, as well as the ones that had already been on the bed and slipped under them. One arm she threw around Sice and tugged her closer, and the other she used to pull the blankets back over their bodies. “You’ll be warm in no time.” There was no disputing that; Sice could already feel her cheeks heating up, for whatever reason. It didn’t matter. She was wrapped in a nest of blankets with her favorite person aside from Mother, and for the first time in a while, everything just felt right.


	32. Mom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven and Sice have their orphanage, their happily ever after...which also includes their own biological bundle of joy. Get some sleep, Sice. You deserve it.

“And you said you’d make a terrible mom,” Seven murmured drowsily. Sice stopped humming and looked down at her wife, who was lying in bed next to her. She then moved her gaze to the child sleeping peacefully in her arms. “I thought you were asleep.” Without shifting her position, Seven yawned. “I was. Think I’ll get back to that actually…” A smile came to Sice’s face. “Yeah. You deserve all the rest in the world after all the trouble you went through bringing this little munchkin into it.” For such a peaceful sleeper, their child could be quite the handful at times. Just like any baby, Sice supposed.

“You should get to sleep, too,” Seven said. “I know you’ve been doing a lot extra since we got back from the hospital.” She was right; Sice hadn’t slept in the last two or three days. “Even though the volunteers stepped in while we were gone, you still don’t trust them, do you?” Sice remained silent, and Seven chuckled. With some hesitation, Sice began, “It’s not that.” She searched for the right words for a moment. “I just wanna be there for the kids as much as possible. Make sure they don’t feel abandoned or anything.” Seven hummed in understanding. “You think you’re a new mom, Sice. But in reality, you’ve been a great mother to so many children already. Only this time, the child is your own flesh and blood.”

Sice stared at the silver locks framing the tiny round face next to her bosom. “ _Our_ flesh and blood.” She looked at Seven once more, and noticed a lack of response – no smile? She was definitely asleep. A bit reluctantly, Sice got out of bed and walked to the crib across the room. Gently, she laid her and Seven’s baby down, the serene sleeping face filling her with joy. When she was finally able to tear her eyes away, she walked back across the room and crawled into bed, facing her wife with a huge smile on her face that she didn’t even try to fight back. Some great rest was on its way – at least, until the inevitable being woken up by crying.


	33. Lavender Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You will most likely not return from this mission. I suggest you say your goodbyes before deployment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst warning. Also a warning that I don't write a lot of angst so it may not be so great. But then again, this whole collection is trash.

Sice rolled over, still mostly asleep, hardly able to perceive anything around her. “…ce. Sice, hey.” The voice was familiar, one that made her feel right at home. Who – oh, wait. Yes, now she remembered. As Sice’s senses began to return, so did her consciousness. Her eyes opened slowly. “Hey Seven,” she whispered from her dry throat. She tried to sit up, but the combination of being half-awake and therefore weak, and Seven gently pushing her back down kept her from accomplishing her goal.

“I have to leave for a mission but I wanted to say goodbye first,” Seven whispered. Sice’s eyes fell back shut. “Mission, huh? What time’s it?” Seven planted a kiss on Sice’s forehead. “Early. You get back to sleep.” She stood up from the bed they’d been sharing for some time now. It held some precious memories; mostly just silly things like card games and tickle fights, but they were still so special. “Whenya gettin’ back?” Sice slurred, the realm of sleep obviously coaxing her back in.

Seven was silent for a moment. She didn’t know. There were a lot of things she was uncertain about concerning this particular mission. She’d volunteered for it, yes, but that was only because she didn’t want Sice to have to go. And if Sice ever found out, she’d never hear the end of it. Covert operations, constantly looking death in the face, the war itself; it was all madness and it made Seven sick. What she had to do this time especially made her stomach turn. That plus the memory of those final haunting words of the briefing: “You will most likely not return from this mission. I suggest you say your goodbyes before deployment.”

“…Sice?” It was quick, low whisper, but Sice would hear it if she hadn’t fallen back asleep. “Sice.” No response. “Sleep well. I love you.” Seven turned her back and headed out the door.

* * *

 

Breakfast was late and oddly quiet. “Good morning!” The routine of hearing Cinque’s cheery voice hadn’t changed. Something felt off, though. “Sice, are you okay?” _Kid’s way more perceptive than she lets on._ Sice lifted her mug of tea to her lips and took a sip. “Think so. Somethin’ just feels weird today is all.” She set down her mug and looked across the table to Deuce, who had a worried expression on her face. “What?”

“I don’t mean to intrude,” Deuce began, “But that’s lavender tea you’re drinking, isn’t it?” Sice gave her mug an empty glance and shrugged. “Yeah. I’m not a tea person but I figured I might as well give it a try at some point.” “I see,” Deuce said. “Since you mentioned it, this morning does seem a tad odd.” She took a sip of her own tea and then swallowed quickly, startled by the sight before her. “Sice! You’re…” “Huh?” Sice asked before she realized what had shocked Deuce so much. She wiped away the tear that was running down her cheek and began blinking rapidly. “Sice, what’s the matter?”

Not wanting to answer Cinque’s question, Sice was grateful when Queen stopped by them. “We have class in half an hour,” she said. “I don’t know where Cater, Nine, and Jack are, but Trey and Eight are already in the classroom and Machina and Rem are on the terrace, I presume. In any case, I expect you to be on time. “Yes ma’am,” Cinque sighed. “At least that part of today is normal,” she said to Sice and Deuce, meant as an aside but probably still audible to Queen. Whether or not Queen heard, the comment yielded no response.

Queen began walking toward another place – probably the Crystarium – and Sice followed, much to her own surprise. “What is it?” Queen asked, stopping by a pillar in the hallway. “Help,” Sice muttered. Queen nearly jumped. “E-Excuse me? Sice? Are you not feeling well?” Sice covered her eyes with her hand, beginning to blink rapidly again. “I, uh. I just feel kinda lost. So if you could help me, I guess I need…somebody to talk to.”

Queen let out a sigh. “I knew I couldn’t have been the only one to notice. Sice, would you accompany me to the Rubicus?” “What?” Sice asked, right before it clicked. “Rubicus…Historical Personae-You don’t mean-no. No, no way.” She moved her hand from over her eyes to her mouth, covering it as if she was going to be sick. Queen watched her take deep breaths for a while before deciding to speak. “Sice, do you want to go see?” Still breathing heavily, Sice swallowed. She looked at Queen with red, teary eyes and her voice cracked. “We must forget in order to break free.”


	34. Change of Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't let Seven wear a suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so short but being privy to Sice's thoughts (italics) is so fun.

Sice rapped her knuckles against Seven’s door. “Hey, c’mon.” She didn’t like to be kept waiting, and she knew Seven knew. The doorknob turned and the door cracked open. “Sorry,” Seven said. “I know you said I didn’t have to get dressed up, but I knew you’d probably try to look cute and I-” “What’re you going on about?” Sice asked, pushing the door open wide enough for her to slip in. She closed the door behind her. “You know that….” Sice’s mind suddenly went completely blank, save for her focus on Seven. In a suit.

“Sice?” Seven asked. _Sweet divine Vermilion Bird Crystal._ “Sice, you stopped in the middle of your sentence.” _Hot **damn.**_ “Well, you did cut me off so I guess it’s fine if I finish what I was saying. You see, I can’t button up these last three.” Seven moved her tie to reveal the unbuttoned part of her shirt. _She’s doing this on purpose. She has to be doing this on purpose. Her tits are practically popping out of that thing. And is that a lace bra? Crystals, it’s lace._ “Take off your jacket,” Sice said shakily. “Sure thing,” Seven replied, sliding her arms out of the piece of clothing with ease. She folded it over her arm and moved her tie again because it had begun to fall back into place. “Now, I think the problem is-” “Take off the shirt too,” Sice demanded.

Seven ran a hair through her hair. _Seven, please. I can’t handle this._ “I really didn’t want to start over from the beginning but if you insist-” “Take it off, just take it all off! We don’t need to go out tonight, just- Crystals, Seven!” “Sice, are you okay?” “No!” Sice had proposed a night out, but…there was a change of plan.


	35. Frostbite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the malice gets high enough, Sice is a raging storm, and it takes more than a blizzard to calm her flame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once, Queen isn't shipper trash. Wow.

“Die! Die! All of you, die!” Sice shot bursts of fire in every direction, swinging her scythe like a maniac. “Is there anything we can do?” Queen asked. “Not while she’s like this,” Seven sighed. “We’ll have to wait for her to burn out.” Sice attacked everything that moved, whether it be a falling snowflake, a tree branch, or her own shadow. The monsters and soldiers she’d been fighting had been long dead, but she still saw them, still needed to kill them. “Why won’t you just die?!” Her skin was a pale blue, and her eyes were red like the glow of her scythe. It wouldn’t be much longer now.

“Hey, Seven.” Seven made eye contact with Sice, who still swung her scythe at nothing in particular. “Cure. Can’t feel m-my…” She cast another Fire spell. “…Hey, Seven! Cure!” Her already sloppy movements began to weaken until she came to a stop, standing in the snow with her knees wobbling. “Y’know, I really hate the cold.” She collapsed, and Seven began walking toward her. “Sorry you had to see her like this, Queen. I know you have your own troubles with this sort of thing.”

The trip to the nearest town was silent, save for the whispers of the wind. Even while she was unconscious, Sice’s breathing was sharp, hot, deadly, and Seven’s neck almost burned from it. Upon reaching the town, Seven dismounted her chocobo, leaving Sice to fall forward and then slide off the chocobo’s side, straight into her arms.

“Will she be alright?” Queen asked as she walked to a hotel alongside Seven, who was carrying Sice, blue and still wrapped in a red aura of malice. All the Protect spells in the world wouldn’t completely keep the snowstorm’s effects at bay. Seven declined to respond and got Sice inside as quickly as she could. When she reached their room, the first thing she did was lay Sice down in one of the two beds.

“We could’ve afforded another room,” Queen said. “No point,” Seven replied, removing her jacket. “We’re just here until Sice is okay to travel back to Rubrum. Mother’s magic is working, but she’ll need some extra help to get back to being herself.” She began to remove Sice’s jacket as well with no hesitation, leaving Queen a bit surprised.

Seven climbed into bed with Sice, pressing their skin together and using the blankets to trap the heat. “I’ve got to get her warm,” Seven said in response to Queen’s puzzled look. “Don’t worry, I know how to handle this. You get some sleep, Queen.” Those words didn’t diminish Queen’s worry, but she did as requested and settled into bed. Tomorrow would be a long day of travel. If they did leave tomorrow.

* * *

 Sice woke up with a headache. The light in the room was way too bright. Everything was blurry. And she felt angry. She needed to leave. She attempted to climb out of bed, but a firm hand over her midsection kept her still. “Good morning.” Seven’s voice rang in Sice’s ears, so warm and calm and familiar. It made her feel like she was home for a moment, made some of the bloodlust go away. Bloodlust. And she couldn’t remember anything since mid-afternoon the day before. That could only mean one thing.

“So I lost it again, huh?” Sice asked. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Seven kissed the back of Sice’s neck. “Queen’s out getting us breakfast.” Sice rolled over to face Seven. “Don’t change the subject! Every damn time this happens you just-” Her eyes began to water. “I’m sorry.” She buried her face in Seven’s chest and Seven instinctively began to stroke her hair. The remaining red glow around Sice began to gradually fade. “I hope you can let this all out before Queen gets back,” Seven joked. “I’m not sure how we’d explain our current position.” Only a few moments later did Queen enter the room. “I’m back. Is Sice aw- Oh. I…Pardon me, I’ll be in the lobby.”


	36. Paopu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet, with the least creative title in history. Smol!Sice has a gift for smol!Seven, and it's a blatant Kingdom Hearts reference.

“Hm? What’s that you’ve got there, Sice?” Seven was always observant of the others. She was the oldest, and it was her duty to look out for them. Her eyes couldn’t be on everyone at every moment, but she always had a good idea of what the rest of the children were up to. Sice had been working on crafts, which was unusual, but Seven was glad that the younger girl was finally trying her hand at art and creating something instead of brooding or getting into quarrels.

“It’s a sticker. You put it on with tape, see?” She held out the sticker she’d made with her hand, which had a nearly identical sticker taped to the back of it. “It’s a Paopu. I was reading yesterday and thought it looked cool, so, here.” She placed the sticker in Seven’s hand and looked away, sticking her hands in her pockets. Seven smiled. “Thank you, Sice. That’s very thoughtful of you. Hey, do you know what they say about the Paopu Fruit?” Sice didn’t respond, and a slight scowl came to her face. “They say that if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined, and they’ll be part of each other’s lives no matter what.”

“Yeah, I knew that,” Sice grumbled. She could feel heat rising in her face. “Anyway, I’m gonna go do…something. See ya later, Seven.” Seven continued smiling as Sice walked off, and applied the sticker to her hand. “She’ll be honest with herself one day.”


	37. Seven, Happy Birthday.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cheesy as hell short thing for our favorite whipblade wielder's birthday.

Seven couldn’t say she wasn’t expecting any letters, but this was a bit excessive. Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight…She straightened the third stack of envelopes she’d made, and then another slid under her door. “I appreciate the love, but this is a bit much.” Seven sighed and walked to her door to pick up the letter. These would take some time to read. Lucky for her, she was an early riser and could probably get through half of them before breakfast.

As things turned out, Seven finished exactly half of the letters before being abruptly summoned to Classroom Zero by Cinque’s usual chipper voice. “Come on, Seven! Everyone’s waiting!” Seven exited her room ready to walk down the hall, but it seemed Cinque and Cater had other plans. “Good morning,” Seven managed before Cater tied a blindfold around her head and pushed her, with Cinque guiding her by the hand. “No time for chit-chat, Sev. Let’s get straight to business!”

Seven was admittedly a bit confused, but she decided against questioning Cater and Cinque. If everyone was waiting, then whatever was going on was sure to be grand. Certain members of Class Zero would never get out of bed for something mediocre. “We’ve brought the target!” Cinque removed the blindfold, revealing to Seven a colorful Classroom Zero, decorated with ribbons, bows, balloons, and a giant banner that read, “Happy Birthday Seven.”

The rest of Class Zero stood in a half-circle around Seven, all smiling and wearing cone-shaped hats, save for Sice. Where was she, anyway? If everyone else could agree to wearing those ridiculous hats, why couldn’t Sice? Was she just that embarrassed? “Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Cater asked.

“Not too much,” Seven said, looking up at the banner. “Just, you guys didn’t have to do all this for me.” “You kiddin’?” Sice’s snarky voice came from behind. “This is the big eighteen. If you don’t think we need to celebrate, you’ve got another thing coming.” She wasn’t wearing a hat. “Oh, and here.” She handed a small wrapped gift to Seven. “From Mother.” What was Sice doing talking to Mother so early? It was probably the only time she could fit into that busy schedule. Seven pushed the thought aside. It wasn’t her business.

“So when do we get to that cake?” Nine asked loudly, grinning. “You’re getting your slice last,” Sice snapped, much to Nine’s discontent. “Who put you in charge of the cake, huh?” “You dumbass, I – ” Sice took a glance at Seven. “Uh, Seven wouldn’t want us fighting. Anyway, how about you get a closer look?” She tugged Seven’s sleeve once and led her to Kurasame’s desk, where a beautiful three-tier cake rested with eighteen flickering candles on top.

“Wow,” Seven commented. “This is gorgeous. Did you guys have this catered?” She looked to Sice for an answer and noticed that the other girl was a tad uneasy. “You okay, Sice?” “I…” Sice lowered her voice. “I made it…The cake.” Seven looked back at the cake, her eyes lighting up, and again to Sice. “That’s amazing! Wow, I don’t even know what to say. You did all this for me? You really didn’t – ” “Quit being so damn humble all the time!” Sice erupted. “Stop saying we don’t need to do anything for you. We know we don’t need to, but we want to!”

Seven blinked. “You want to?” Seven gave an aggravated sigh and hugged Seven, standing on the tips of her toes to whisper into her ear. “When Mother couldn’t be there, you were. No matter how stupid and annoying and reckless we could be, you were patient with us. You always put us before yourself, and you always did your best to make sure we were okay. You still do. We – I especially – owe you so much more than we could ever repay. So let us at least do this for you.”

Seven smiled, closing her eyes and holding Sice close even as the younger girl tried to escape. “I love it when you’re honest about your feelings.” “The hell is that supposed to mean?!” “Hey!” Nine interrupted, picking up the knife next to the cake. “We gonna eat this thing or what?” Seven released Sice, and Sice snatched the knife from Nine’s hand. “Idiot. Seven has to make a wish first.” She looked back at Seven, who gave her a smile and then stared at the flames atop the candles.

“Wish for me to pass next week’s exam!” Jack said in a mock whisper. Seven shook her head and took a look around at all her classmates. They’d all really grown, that was for sure. _I wish…_ Seven blew out the candles on her cake, and before she knew it, the whole thing was reduced to one layer, with Nine and Jack coming back for what must’ve been at least their fifth or sixth slices. “These guys, I swear,” Sice muttered, and Seven’s smile widened. “That means your cake is delicious.” “Yeah, I guess,” Sice sighed. “Hey Sev.” “Hm?” “Uh, happy birthday.”

* * *

“So that’s another forty-three letters while you were gone?” Sice watched Seven open another envelope. “Yeah…Oh, Sice. By the way.” Sice raised her eyebrows. “Eh?” “I recognize your handwriting. This is your eighth one, I believe.” Sice’s face instantly turned beet red. “The hell are you talkin’ about?” Seven laughed, taking another letter from the pile on her desk next to a picture of Class Zero in a frame with the word “Family” on the bottom border. “I won’t tell you what I wished for, Sice, but I did have a couple of other wishes in mind. Want to know what one of those was?”

Sice remained silent, still radiating embarrassment but she managed to look Seven in the eye. “I wished you’d be more honest with your feelings. I guess that much came true. It’s a lovely gift, Sice.” Sice lay back on Seven’s bed and stared at the ceiling. “Hmph.” “And yes, I would date someone who ‘isn’t good with words or expressing themselves in general.’” Sice groaned at the reminder of what she’d written, and Seven laughed. It was a happy birthday indeed.


	38. Bathroom Break(down)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smol!Big Sis gives smol!Sice some comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt a lot less rushed when I was writing it.

“Scared? You kidding? I’m not scared of anything!” It was a point Sice made often, and it seemed to be true. Except for special cases like these...

 

 

“Sice, I gotta use the bathroom. Hurry up!” Cater had been waiting a good ten minutes, but it didn’t seem like Sice was coming out soon. “Go use the other one! It’s real bad in here.” “Cinque’s using that one! Then Ace, then Trey – just come on already! My toothbrush is in there!” Cater stomped a couple of times before Seven rested a hand on her shoulder. “Let me try.”

“Sice?” Seven knocked on the door. “It’s been almost half an hour. Is everything alright in there?” She waited a few moments for Sice’s response. “Uh…I got the runs, that’s all. Just go use the other bathroom!” The problem wasn’t that Sice was a terrible liar – no, her lying skills were actually quite decent – but rather that it was a terrible lie. Nobody had complained about a smell, and Seven’s keen nose hadn’t picked up anything foul. “Sice, can I come in?”

“No,” was Sice’s immediate answer, but that quickly changed when Seven asked, “Do I need to get Mother?” The sound of the door unlocking cued Seven to enter, relocking the door behind her. “Now, what’s…?” She stopped mid-sentence, taking in Sice’s pouting red face and watery, puffy eyes.

Seven took a seat beside Sice on the floor against the wall. “Wanna talk about it?” She watched Sice rub her eyes and patiently awaited an answer. “It’s dumb. I’ll be fine in a sec. You’d just make fun of me anyway.” Seven tensed up at those words. Sice couldn’t really think that, could she? “If something’s bothering you this much, I’d never make fun of you for it.” That was true. Looking after everyone was a duty Seven took very seriously. “I’m not saying you have to tell me. I can’t force you to or anything. But you can. If you ever need to get something off your chest, or if you’re afraid, I’m here.”

Something must have gotten through to Sice, who rested her head on Seven’s shoulder and let a few tears fall from her eyes. “Don’t tell anybody, but, sometimes I think about the past. Before Mother. I don’t want to, but I do and it freaks me out.” She took a deep breath, and seemed to space out as she continued. “I think about being hungry again, and being cold, and I’m scared. I feel like I can’t breathe and sometimes I get all sweaty and dizzy, and I start crying. Just the thought of some damn snow makes me sick.”

Seven rested a hand on Sice’s head and began to stroke her hair. “Maybe we can ask Mother for help.” Sice gave a slight nod in response. “Yeah…But can we-” “Hurry up!” Cater shouted, banging on the door. She stomped about and huffed. “I just wanna brush my teeth and get to sleep already!” A few seconds later, the door cracked open. Seven handed Cater her toothbrush. “I’m sorry, Cater. But could you use the other restroom? I really appreciate it.” She gave a grateful smile and closed the door before returning to Sice’s side.

Despite the guilt Seven felt for making Cater wait so long, she felt that she had her priorities in order. Sice grasped Seven’s hand and closed her eyes, which was kind of cute, in all honesty. A small smile crept onto Seven’s face. She’d stay here as long as Sice needed, and really, she didn’t mind.


	39. The Greatest Time of Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween's coming, but that's not all there is to be excited about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is super short but I felt the need to update. I'll likely write another Halloween quickie before the month ends.

“Is this really necessary?” Seven asked as she watched her girlfriend stuff a bundle of hay into a shirt. “It’s only the beginning of October.” Sice gave the pumpkin in her hands a perplexed look, then smiled after rotating it a little. “Yeah, beginning of October. I’m late.” She continued to work on her scarecrow, and Seven couldn’t help but smile. If there was only one thing Sice got excited about, it was Halloween. But, there was one other thing that was sure to up her energy levels even more.

“Hey Sice, I have an idea for costumes this year.” Still keeping her eyes and hands on her masterpiece, Sice asked, “Really?” She usually came up with the costume ideas, so Seven’s input was of interest to her. “Yeah,” Seven said, walking up behind Sice. “We can have a nice little party, invite everyone we know, and wear matching bride costumes.” At those words, Sice abruptly dropped everything and turned around. The sight before her was a shock, to put it lightly.

Seven was down on one knee, holding a simple but beautiful silver ring with an embedded violet gemstone. “What do you say?” As soon as Sice got over her spell of dumbfoundedness, she dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Seven. “Sounds like a plan!”


	40. Spoopy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice is a Halloween-loving dork.

Seven stood over her girlfriend, sighing in disappointment at the sight. Sice was sprawled on her bed, staring into space, unmoving save for the rise and fall of her chest with each breath. “I told you not to eat so much candy corn.” “I needed the energy boost,” Sice groaned. Seven took a seat beside her and began to rub her belly. “No, what you needed was real food, but instead you decided to eat three giant bags of candy while you covered your room with all these unnecessary decorations.”

Sice looked up at a bat decoration hanging from the ceiling. “They’re completely necessary.” “There’s still almost a month left until-” “Hey,” Sice interrupted. “If you don’t appreciate spoopiness then you can keep it to yourself.” Seven shook her head and reclined, still rubbing Sice’s belly. “That’s not even a word.” “Spoopy!” “Anyway, Sice, you need to eat something with substance.” Sice groaned. “Mmm Seveeeeen? How much do you love me?” At that, Seven sighed and got out of bed. “I’ll go get you some food.” A smile came to Sice’s face. “I love you too.”

Seven returned quickly with a plate of rice and curry, as well as a bottle of water. She swiftly tiptoed over the plastic and rolls of tape scattered across the floor and handed the meal to Sice, who was now sitting up with a pillow between her back and the headboard of her bed. “Thanks babe,” Sice said before starting her meal. “Uh huh,” Seven replied. She sat down beside Sice’s legs and looked around the room. “You should clean this place up as soon as you can.

Sice chewed as she glanced around at the tape and trash on the floor, the plentiful skull-shaped candles that had accumulated on her desk, several unfinished costumes, and pumpkins scattered throughout her room. Among other things. She swallowed and shrugged. “I like it. Maybe I’ll pick up the tape and stuff though. But not before I get your input on what movie we watch this week.”

Though Sice would have preferred to marathon scary movies all month, Seven wasn’t too big on the activity, so they compromised: Each week, they’d only watch one movie, then on Halloween – or within three days of Halloween; whatever worked for their schedules – they’d stay up for a night of horror, terror, and thrillers.

“So, how about _Finis III?_ ” Sice took a gulp of water before finishing off her meal. “They made another one?” Seven asked. “Wait. Didn’t you cry last year when we were watching _Finis II?_ We had to turn it off.” Sice pouted. “…I was having a hard time with some personal stuff.” “Like what?” Seven snickered. “Trey being the only other person to appreciate ‘spoopy?’” Sice glared at Seven, setting her plate aside on her nightstand. “Listen, you…”

“I’m listening,” Seven said. Sice kept glaring for a bit, then said, “You piss me off.” Seven chuckled and gave her a hug. “There. Better?” Sice’s pout slowly faded as she inhaled the scent of Seven’s hair and returned the hug. “Hmph. Better.”


	41. Stars or Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven takes Sice out to look at the stars, but the weather isn't too compliant with their plans. Time to head back home.

“You just _had_ to drag me out here.” Sice was more irritable than usual, and the reason was obvious. Seven did have to admit, it really was her fault. The plan was to watch the stars, and the weather had seemed perfect, but a bunch of clouds, wind, and snow came out of nowhere as soon as they reached their intended spot. Sice was reluctant to come out in the cold in the first place, and now that nature had turned on them, she was downright miserable.

“I’m sorry,” Seven sighed. “Let’s get back quickly.” She was well aware that Sice was especially sensitive to the cold, and she didn’t want any bad snow-related memories to resurface in the younger girl’s mind. Sice’s gloved hand kept a firm grip on Seven’s as they headed back to Akademeia. “You okay?” Seven asked at regular intervals, and Sice would nod. Something seemed off, but Seven didn’t want to force a conversation. If Sice wanted to say anything, she’d say it.

About halfway to Akademeia, Sice took Seven’s arm in her own and rested her hand on the older girl’s shoulder. Seven stopped, causing Sice to move her head and look up at her. “What’s up?” Seven removed her scarf. Sice gave a puzzled look. “I’m already wearing one, if you haven’t noticed. Boots, scarf, gloves, coat – the whole getup.” Seeming to ignore her, Seven wrapped the scarf around Sice’s head vertically so that it covered her ears, then tied it at the top. “There.”

“…I don’t even want to know how ridiculous this looks,” Sice muttered, unamused. “Oh, come on,” Seven chuckled, turning and kneeling so that her back faced Sice. “Hop on.” “What?!” Sice asked, the pitch of her voice rising. “Sice, I know you’re tired,” Seven said, her tone becoming concerned. “Just get on. It’ll be quicker.” After some hesitation, Sice complied and mounted Seven’s back. “It had better be.” She wrapped her arms around Seven’s neck, and Seven rose to her feet.

“Hold on tight.” Seven charged forward, impervious to the biting cold, shielding Sice from the snow. In no time at all, they were in their dorm, basking in the warmth of being indoors. An hour later, they were already sitting in bed, wearing their coziest pajamas.

“Again, I really am sorry,” Seven said as she sifted her fingers through Sice’s hair. Sice yawned. “Hey, we weren’t out too long. It’s fine.” She smiled, but Seven’s expression remained solemn. “Hey.” Sice poked Seven’s arm. “I’m okay. Promise.” Seven looked into Sice’s eyes and wiggled her fingers a little. The feel of her hair was always nice – not exactly soft all the time – but it just felt like _Sice_ , and Sice was something…something else, all right.

“Something beautiful,” Seven murmured. “What’d you say?” Sice asked. Seven shook her head lightly and placed her free hand on Sice’s back, pulling her close. “I said I love you.”


	42. Forget the Horror Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They survived Tempus Finis, but a lot of others didn't and Seven needs some comfort.

Bodies. So many bodies. They’d seen it all before, but it was always through some type of filter. Like an invisible wall. But now it was all so real, so…terrifying. “Seven?” Sice watched Seven stare at the countless corpses scattered across Akademeia’s bloodstained campus. “…Hey, you shouldn’t look at that so much.” Seven didn’t respond, or even so much as glance at Sice. Her eyes remained on the tragedy this war had wrought, unblinking though tears began to fall.

Sice brought an arm over Seven’s stiff shoulders and managed to turn her around. “Hey, let’s go check how the others are doing with the reconstruction planning. They could definitely use your big brain.” She cracked a weak smile, but it didn’t do anything to cheer Seven up. If anything, her mood worsened.

“We could have prevented this,” Seven said softly. “There must have been some way to keep all of these people from dying.” Sice began walking, gently pushing Seven along with her. “Maybe. Maybe not. But, I think we did a pretty damn good job. And I think Mother would be proud.” Seven flinched at those words and stopped in her tracks. “Sice, you…all of us. We were so close. So, so close to…”

Seven fell to her knees despite support from Sice, and Sice knelt beside her. “Seven, I know. But –” “You don’t know,” Seven interrupted, shaking her head. “You don’t know. I was supposed to protect you, all of you. That’s always been my job and yet we almost died today! I can see it so vividly, I can feel it, like it’s happened millions of times before!” Sice didn’t quite understand what Seven was on to, but she continued to listen intently. “I see it…dead. All sixteen of us, dead. I couldn’t…”

Seven began to wipe at her eyes with the backs of her fists as she suppressed sobs. “Sixteen?” Sice asked hesitantly as she tried to comfort Seven by stroking her back. Seven shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s like I’m seeing some type of alternate reality. Or realities. But there were sixteen, dead, and I couldn’t do anything. I’m sorry. Sice, I am so sorry.” She looked up at Sice, who was looking back at her sternly.

“Listen,” Sice exhaled. “Whatever alternate reality or any kind of crap you’re seeing, we’re in this one. Right here. We’re alive. We’re together. And that’s all that matters.” Sice averted her gaze from Seven for a split second and then stared back into her eyes. “So what, we couldn’t save everyone? We just finished a war. Maybe we’re not Agito, but we did save a lot of lives. If we hadn’t done what we did, there’d be no one left to rebuild the world. We saved Orience from total annihilation! You should at least be proud of that.”

Sice sighed. “Or…something.” Seven rested her head on Sice’s shoulder. Her tears had appeared to stop. “Thanks, Sice,” she murmured. “Look at you, being so kind…” Seven let her eyes fall shut. “Sorry. I’m still a bit tired.” Sice shifted her position and began to pull Seven back toward her. “Then, rest. I guess we’ve got time.” Seven’s head landed gently in Sice’s lap. “You’re acting a little weird,” Seven said, her eyes still closed. “Something wrong? Well, besides the whole post-apocalyptic setting?”

Sice smiled. “You’re acting weird too. Don’t worry, Sev. I’m fine. You get some sleep.” Hearing Sice’s contented tone, Seven smiled softly and allowed herself to drift off to sleep. Some time after, Sice spoke her thoughts aloud: “You know, when we were all laughing together, back when we were all sure we were gonna die, I saw your smile. I didn’t really realize how much I missed it until then. Seven, I want you to smile lots from now on. That’s one thing I’ll protect for sure.”


	43. Vampires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick little Halloween thing in which Sice and Seven are dressed as vampires and have conflicting views on what to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Fortunately, they've learned to compromise.

Sure, Sice might have thrown away every last shred of her dignity begging Seven to dress up, but it was definitely worth it. Seeing Seven in a suit was _always_ worth it. Sure, Sice looked pretty damn good herself dressed as a vampire, but Seven pulled it off even more spectacularly. The thing was, she didn’t even try. Looking gorgeous was her natural talent.

“Should we give out toothpaste or water bottles?” Seven asked, stirring Sice from her daze. Sice glanced at the miniature plastic water bottles and tubes of toothpaste that Seven had bought in bulk. There had been a sale earlier that week, but Sice hadn’t thought much of it; no, she was much more concerned with other things. Like Seven’s makeup. The traces of crimson on her lips matched her cape perfectly. Speaking of which, Sice needed to put on her own cape.

“Sice?” Seven asked. Sice finally focused and answered. “Neither,” she said after a couple of seconds. “It’s Halloween, so how about – oh, I don’t know – candy?” Seven frowned as Sice lifted a large sac of individually wrapped chocolates onto the kitchen counter. “…We could give out something healthier, though, right?”

Sice rolled her eyes. She’d seen this coming. Of course Seven would have a problem with just giving kids what they wanted. “Alright, Sev. Let’s compromise.” Seven was an extremely reasonable person, and Sice knew her all too well, so reaching a midway point between their Halloween ideals would be a piece of cake – not literally. Cake was for the day after Halloween.

* * *

The door opened, and two shadows stepped out into the dim porch light. The lantern’s glow revealed two vampires, clad in suits and capes, bloody fangs visible. “T-trick or treat!” the child stammered. He seemed intimidated, which prompted the taller of the vampires to smile down at him. “Well, aren’t you an adorable little chocobo?” Her violet eyes were kind and calming.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” the child covered in golden feathers said, smiling slightly. He suddenly found a handful of candy being dropped into his bag. The shorter vampire gave him a smirk as she added one last item: a tiny tube of toothpaste. “Enjoy the treats, kid, but no cavities, ya hear?” The child stared for a moment, then blinked and nodded. “Okay, yes ma’am!” He took a step back, but the violet-eyed vampire stopped him. “One more thing,” she said, handing him a small plastic bottle of water. “Stay hydrated. Happy Halloween.” The child took the water, smiling brightly. “Thank you. Happy Halloween!” He took a gulp of water before running off to the next house.

The vampires exchanged smiles and then shared a silence for a few minutes. A hand reached into the bag, slowly and silently, but trying to sneak was futile. Fortunately, the one to whom the hand did not belong was an extremely reasonable person. “Alright, Sice. You can have one before the next kid comes. _One._ ”

 


	44. Get Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two dorks. Two big dorks. So much dorkiness in so few words.

“What are you doing?” Seven tried to analyze her girlfriend’s intentions but to no avail. Sice was wearing an extremely oversized shirt, sitting cross-legged on her bed. “Seven, I think we could get along much better.” Seven shook her head and climbed into bed beside Sice. “We get along just fine. Just look at us now.”  
“No, wait,” Sice said, tugging on Seven’s arm. “Don’t lie down yet. We need to work out our problems.” Rolling her eyes, Seven sat up straight. “Alright, Sice. What are our so-called ‘problems?’” Sice began to lift her shirt. “Well, for one:” She tackled Seven, trapping the older girl under her shirt until she was forced to poke her head through the hole that was easily large enough for both of theirs. “We didn’t have a get along shirt, but we do now.”  
Seven frowned for a moment. “This is…random.” Sice wasn’t often the cuddly type until she was half asleep. Not that the current situation was a problem, though. “Alright, alright. Yeah, let’s try to get along better.” Seven shifted her arms to hug Sice underneath the shirt. “Yup yup,” Sice said. “I can feel the conflict resolution already.”  
Seven rolled her eyes again and let out a small laugh. “Goodnight, stupid.” Sice nuzzled Seven’s neck. “’Night, love you too.”


	45. Happy Birthday to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a couple of fluffy nerds on Sice's birthday.

Sice awoke to a pleasant warmth embracing her body. It was even more appreciated than usual now that the weather was getting cold. Being wrapped in Seven’s arms under several layers of blankets was definitely the optimal situation at this time of the year. Sice smiled and sighed in contentment, snuggling closer to her girlfriend.

Seven chuckled at the gesture, pulling Sice closer and kissing her forehead. “Good morning.” Sice mumbled unintelligibly in response, still not quite free from the realm of sleep. Seven began to softly comb through Sice’s hair with one hand, as she often did. It was a natural motion that was almost always welcome, and Sice sure wasn’t complaining this morning.

“Happy birthday,” Seven said quietly. At those words, Sice opened her eyes and looked up. “That’s today?” Seven smiled down at her and kissed her nose. “Mhm. Your day.” Sice let her eyes fall shut again. “Does that mean I get whatever I want?” “That depends,” Seven said, ignoring the hand squeezing her rear end. “What do you want for your birthday, Sice?”

Sice yawned. “I want…to stay here for at least another two hours.” Seven would definitely be happy to oblige that request. “And,” Sice continued. “I want cake.” “Of course,” Seven responded. “That should be fairly simple to arrange.” “And I want Trey to shut up.” Seven held back a laugh. “I’m not so sure about that one.” Sice sighed, tilting her head upward. “Yeah, I know. Even if I can’t have that dream, though, I’m glad I have this one.” She brought her lips to Seven’s, and a new wave of warmth pulsed through her body.

After a moment, Sice’s mouth cracked into a smile. “Your lips are way too soft for your own good,” she whispered against Seven’s lips before kissing her again. It wasn’t by any means a complaint, but rather more like a warning. Sure enough, Seven soon felt Sice’s teeth on her lower lip. Not that she minded it.

Sice drew her lips apart from Seven’s and gave a toothy smile. It was cute. Odd, Seven thought, but very cute. “What’s got you so happy? You never smile like that.” With a laugh, Sice leaned into Seven’s collarbone. “You, dummy. You just make me ridiculously happy.” Seven raised her eyebrows slightly. “Oh. Well, uh, I…that’s…That’s great, Sice. I’m glad you’re happy.” She gave silent thanks that Sice couldn’t see her reddening cheeks.

“Oh yeah, this is a really good day,” Sice said. “I get to cuddle you, and I get cake, and maybe if I’m lucky you’ll marry me tonight.” A sudden thump from beyond the wall startled Seven. It sounded as if someone had slammed their fist on a hard piece of furniture, like a bookshelf. Sice gave Seven’s lower back a soft caress, stealing her attention back from the random noise.

“That last part is pretty doubtful,” Seven said, closing her eyes. “There’s no way to plan an entire wedding in one day, you know.” Sice sighed against Seven’s skin. “You had me scared for a second there. Thought you’d turned me down.” “Far from it,” Seven reassured her. Sice could have sworn she’d never felt warmer than in that moment. “Happy birthday to me.”


	46. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU with television. Sice is a big dork and also Gordon Ramsay.

Sice slammed the door and fell onto her bed. “Idiots could burn a salad,” she muttered. Having her own TV show was nice – or, at least the paycheck was – but it could be very, _very_ stressful at times. At least Eight hosted a relaxing meditation show that- “Aaand he’s off the air. Great.” Sice sighed and pressed the power button on the remote. What a sucky day. Idiots at work, cold weather outside, and nothing on TV but- “Wait.”  
There was a special event going on. “Yeah, that’s right…” Sice turned the TV back on and changed the channel. “Okay, good. Just in time.” The season finale of Rubrum’s greatest soap opera, _Undying Love for a L’Cie_ , was about to begin, and there was no way she was missing it. Even if the day had been awful, tonight’s two-hour special would make it all better, almost like Mother’s soup.

* * *

 

Seven opened the door. “Hey, sorry I’m back late- Sice?!” She rushed to the side of her sobbing girlfriend and instinctively hugged her, rocking her slowly and patting her back. “Sice…” Sice returned the hug, tightly gripping Seven’s shirt. Seven waited a moment to get to the heart of the matter. When Sice’s trembling eased a bit, she asked, “Sice. What’s wrong?”  
Sice looked up at Seven, fresh tears still flowing from her eyes. “I…” Her lip quivered. “Ah, crap! Caebetta turned to crystal and it shattered! It fucking shattered, man! And they gave Amina a shard and-” She inhaled. “The _epilogue_ Crystal fuck it! She had a kid with Anazi and his name is CAETZER! HE WEARS THE CRYSTAL SHARD ON A NECKLACE AND EIDOLONS MAKE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE OF ALL THE DESTRUCTION THEY BRING AND-” Sice’s speech faded into gibberish and sobbing, and Seven simply held her. Of all the things to make Sice this emotional…

Oh, well. Whatever the situation, Seven would be there. Always.


	47. Past and Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven's feeling nostalgic and thankful for her gal.

“Told you I could do it!” Sice grinned and carried Seven through the open area in the facility. “I never said you couldn’t,” Seven responded, though she was a bit surprised that Sice had decided to quite literally sweep her off her feet. Maybe that was when everything started. It wasn’t as often back then, and Seven sure didn’t have any idea what it was at the time, but she remembered the feeling clearly: her heart sped up, her stomach tickled in a strange way, and she smiled so much that her cheeks hurt.

“Seems like so long ago,” Seven murmured to herself, staring fondly at an old wrinkled paper with two stick figures drawn on it. One was drawn in pink crayon, carrying the other, which was drawn in purple. How the picture had survived for so many years was a wonder, but Seven was grateful that it was now in a frame on her desk.

“What was that?” Sice asked, sitting up in her bed. Seven turned her head and smiled at the mess of hair on her girlfriend’s head. That hadn’t changed, but those sleepy blue eyes had. They weren’t dull and empty anymore. Now, they were full of vigor and passion. Of course, that was more so during the afternoon, when Sice was fully awake. Still, even within those first few minutes of waking up, her eyes had more life than they did nine years ago. Seven was probably the only one to notice that. She had a tendency to pick up on things that no one else caught.

“Sev?” Sice rubbed her eyes and yawned. “You alright?” “Yeah,” Seven finally responded. “I was just reminiscing a little.” Sice stretched her arms in front of her, reaching for her toes. “Alright, well, time to come back to the present.” She rubbed her eyes again, trying her best to fight off the urge to lie back down. “Okay,” Seven said, walking over to Sice’s bedside. “I’m back. And you know what I’m glad about right now?” Sice looked up at the violet eyes that seemed to each have a smile of their own. “You’re acting weird today, Seven. You know that?” Seven simply chuckled. “I know.” She gave a quick kiss to her girlfriend’s forehead. “I’m just glad you’re here. I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Sice felt her face heating up but didn’t bother trying to hide it. She was an open book to Seven. “Yep, real frickin’ weird.” She grasped Seven’s hand and her lips also formed a smile. “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the exact same way.” Thus, yet another treasured memory was made.


	48. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter in which Sice is perfectly content.

Sice opened her eyes slowly, automatically moving them to the only source of light in the room: a candle, dim and flickering. It would go out any minute now. The way everything was so hazy made it feel like a dream. But the soft breathing under her reminded Sice that she wasn’t in a dream. She was exactly where she should be. Exactly where she wanted to be. In the waning light, the beautiful face she loved was just barely visible.

Seven’s lips were parted slightly, and her eyelids seemed as if they would flutter open at any moment. To Sice’s surprise, though, those gentle features didn’t change as she pulled their shared blanket over her bare shoulders. Seven’s grip on her waist remained firm as well. Sice smiled to herself and closed her eyes again. If this was reality, then who needed dreams?


	49. Under the Gysahltoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the most wonderful time of the year, and two dorks-er-cadets find themselves under a unique circumstance. Also, Queen is shipper trash.

“Oh, sorry, Sice.” Seven had bumped into the younger girl as they both tried to pass through the same doorway. “You’re good,” Sice said, stepping aside to let Seven through. “Hold it!” a voice shouted before Seven could take a step. Both girls looked to Queen, who was pointing to some sort of plant hanging above the spot where they had bumped into each other.

  
Sice raised a brow. “It’s a plant. What about it?” Queen opened a book in her hand to where she’d placed a bookmark. “That is a Gysahltoe plant.” “Good to know,” Seven said, finding it rather odd than Queen conveniently had that information on hand. “Wait, there’s more,” Queen continued. “It has been tradition for hundreds of years for any two people who meet under the Gysahltoe to share a kiss.”

  
Sice stared wide-eyed at Queen. “A what?” “Think of it as deepening your cultural understanding,” Queen said. “This takes place all over Orience this time of year. It’s nothing strange at all.” Seven and Sice exchanged hesitant looks. “Well, there’s no harm in it…” Seven scratched her head. Sice rolled her eyes. “Tch. If it means I don’t have to read up on this junk, then I guess it’s fine.”

  
“Then go on,” Queen urged. Sice rolled her eyes again, then her face was temporarily overtaken by shock when Seven’s lips met her forehead. Only a moment later did she recover, snapping, “Hey! I can reach you, you know.” With cheeks red from anger – yes, definitely anger and nothing more – Sice stood on the tips of her toes and brought her lips near Seven’s cheek, only to lose her balance and meet the other girl’s lips with her own.

  
It took a full three seconds for Seven to process what was going on before taking a step back and supporting Sice, who seemed to still be off balance. “I uh…erm…Sice, you okay?” Sice covered her beet red face. “Yeah, totally. Glad I don’t have to read a textbook entry.” “Speaking of which,” Seven said, looking away. “Where’d Queen go?”

  
Sice looked in the direction Seven was gazing in. “Huh. Probably to alphabetize her bookshelf or something. You know she’s a giant nerd.” Seven gave a nudge with her elbow. “That’s not nice. And hey, why are you covering your face?” She pried Sice’s hands away. “You’re super red.” Sice pouted, looking up at Seven’s face. “Well, you are too.” Seven brought her hands to her face. “Wh-I am? That’s…oh.”

  
Sice turned on her heel and smirked. “Call me if you wanna make out, ya big homo!” she said before dashing off. For once, she wasn’t being sarcastic. Not at all.


	50. Flip Flop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a future where Seven and Sice have their peaceful orphanage, Sice has an accident in the kitchen.

It soared like it was alive. Graceful, dancing in the air, flipping several times before landing on Sice’s face. A piercing shriek summoned Seven to the kitchen in what couldn’t have been more than half a second. “Sice!” Sice looked up at her wife, revealing the pancake batter and tears on her face. “Hey. I’m good.” She winced as a fresh tear rolled over a patch of burned skin.  
Seven looked at the half-cooked pancake on the floor and then back to Sice as she walked over. “You tried to get fancy again, didn’t you?” She turned off the stove and examined Sice’s injury. “I was just working on flipping my pancakes,” Sice said. “Hoooly crap that hurts…” Seven remained silent, deciding that Sice had learned her lesson and that there was no need to tell her that what she had done was unwise.  
Seven turned her head to see several small heads poking out from behind a wall. She sighed. “Sice had a little accident, but breakfast is ready. Come on and get some food for those tummies.” The children exchanged quick glances and entered the kitchen. Sice stood up and began to walk, shielding her face from view. “Anyway, I’m headed to the hospital. Seven, I give you permission to take charge of the kitchen while I’m gone.” She grimaced at another sharp pain.  
“I was taking control either way,” Seven responded. “Please don’t do anything else reckless on your way there. I don’t like seeing you get hurt.” “Yeah, yeah, love you too,” Sice said, exiting the kitchen. Seven sighed. Would Sice ever learn? Maybe, maybe not. “For better or for worse,” she murmured to herself.  
“Is Mom gonna be okay?” one of the children asked. Seven began to prepare plates. “She’ll be just fine. She might need a bit of time to heal fully, though.” She brought each plate to the table, then filled each glass set around the table with either milk or water. The kids all found seats and sat down. “Thanks for the meal,” they said in unison before beginning to eat. “Are you gonna kiss her better?” one little girl asked. Seven chuckled. “I guess I might have to do that. It’s proven to be a very effective treatment.” The girl smiled. “Good! I want Mom to get better as soon as possible. Make sure to kiss her lots and lots!” Seven nodded her head with a smile. “Don’t worry. I will.”


	51. Quiet Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice has just been adopted by Arecia and doesn't seem to like socializing. Seven at least wants to keep her company, though.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Seven asked. Sice looked up for a moment, then returned to gazing into the emptiness of the table at which she and the older girl were seated. “That’s okay,” Seven said. “I don’t talk much either.” She thought back to the few, short conversations she’d had with King when it was just the two of them. A lot had changed in such a short time.  
Seven kept her eyes on Sice’s empty expression. She was quiet, but not like herself or King. There was a sorrow to her silence. There were burning emotions behind her mask. Seven was curious about the girl sitting across from her, but it would be rude to talk to her again after she made it clear that she didn’t want to engage in any conversation. Hopefully Sice wouldn’t mind if she just kept her silent company.  
Cater walked up to the table and took a seat beside Seven. She remained quiet a little while, looking back and forth between the two other girls. Finally, she asked, “So…whatcha doin’?” Seven gave a brief, faint smile. “I’m keeping Sice company.” Cater raised an eyebrow. “Seems pretty boring. I mean, you’re not doing anything.” She stared at the two a bit more, then left to participate in a jumping jacks competition with a few of the boys.  
Sice looked up at Seven once they were alone again. “Why stay with me?” Seven was slightly taken aback by the question, but answered firmly: “I don’t think anyone should be alone if they don’t have to be. Unless they want to be. This world is cruel, so I try to be as kind as I can.” “Tch.” Sice rested her chin on the table. “Real noble.” Seven began to wish she had said something else. Sice seemed really annoyed now. “…I’m sorry. Did you want me to leave?”  
Sice looked up at Seven’s face, analyzing the apparent sadness. “Hm. Nah. Not particularly. If you wanna stay, that’s fine.” Slowly, the corners of Seven’s lips curved upward. “I’m happy to stay with you.” Sice’s chest began to feel strangely tight. It wasn’t exactly a bad feeling, but it was weird. She thought about finding Mother and asking her about it, but she was probably busy with something else. From the looks of it, Seven would take care of any minor problems she had anyway. Maybe this one was worth trusting.  
_I’m happy to stay with you._ The words almost brought a smile to Sice’s face. She wasn’t sure why. She had no clue, really. But she was glad that the strange, smiling, silver-haired girl wanted to stay with her.


	52. Bed of Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven stumbles upon a beautiful sight, and sleep has never been more enticing.

The sight of Sice at true peace was a marvel. Seven didn’t know how she’d ended up there, but Sice was asleep in a flowerbed, blanketed by the sunlight. Her typical frown was gone; in fact, a hint of a smile was on her face. Even though she was napping in an unauthorized area, to wake her up now would be a crime.  
Seven walked closer, unable to help but feel joy. Sice was beautiful, and it showed even more when she was smiling. Truthfully, Seven was tempted to lie down next to her and take a nap of her own. The flowers looked soft and inviting, and the sunlight made the temperature ideal for dozing off. In fact, the whole area had a drowsy atmosphere. Maybe it was the contrast between the dull walls and colorful flowers, or maybe it was simply the fact that Sice was already in a tranquil slumber. Either way, Seven was seriously considering joining her girlfriend.  
There were still a good few hours left of free time, and no one really came to this back garden. Seven concluded that the risk was worth it and lay down next to Sice. Her eyes examined the other girl for a few moments, admiring her and watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. This really was a comfortable spot. It almost felt like a dream, lying in a bed of flowers with the girl she loved, the sunlight warm but not harsh. This definitely had to be the most peaceful place in all of Akademeia. No wonder Sice had fallen asleep here.

* * *

Sice opened her eyes and turned her head to see Seven, completely unconscious. Her stern features had lightened up a bit, like all her worries were gone. That was good to see. Sice smiled and watched Seven a while. Just the sight of her at rest was calming and made the war seem far, far away. At this rate, they’d definitely miss class or be really, really late. That didn’t matter, though. In that moment, nothing outside of that flowerbed mattered.


	53. Beauty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Seven's hobbies is drawing, and Sice doesn't really mind being a model for her newest artwork.

“A little to the left,” Seven said, finally giving Sice more than a quick glance. Sice moved her arm slightly to her left and rolled her eyes. “Why use me as a model anyway, huh?” Flashing a grin, Seven silently continued her drawing. Sice groaned. “You can be so weird sometimes. Just don’t forget to show me when you’re done.” She wasn’t one to give out favors for free, but she made an exception every now and then. Especially for Seven, for whatever reason. She was in a lying pose on Seven’s ridiculously comfortable bed, so it wasn’t really a bother.

  
Sice closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how much longer this would take, considering three hours had already passed. Not that she minded the alone time. Being with Seven was peaceful. There was always a calm aura about her, and she radiated a lot of body heat. Maybe that warmth was why Sice always tried to stick close to her on missions in Milites. It still didn’t explain the odd feeling when Seven was near, though. The overwhelming urge to smile and get as close as possible, and the simultaneous urge to run far away were almost too much…

  
“Done.” Sice opened her eyes and looked toward Seven, who wore a smile. Even from that distance, Sice could feel the warmth. As Seven walked over to her, the air only seemed to get hotter and hotter. “There it is,” Seven said, sitting down next to Sice on her bed. Sice propped herself up on one arm to get a look at the drawing and raised her eyebrows. “Wow. That’s…impressive.” The work was extremely detailed, and captured Sice in a completely new light: serene instead of agitated, and perhaps even happy – in other words, Seven’s artistic touch.

  
“I call it, _‘Beauty’,”_ Seven said. _“Beauty?”_ Sice continued to stare at the drawing. “That’s not really a creative title.” “But it describes the subject, doesn’t it?” Seven asked. Sice’s face flushed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” There it was again. She wanted to run, but she also wanted to get closer, so much closer. “In simplest terms, it means you’re beautiful.” Seven remained completely calm as Sice tugged her arm, pulling her down. “That was rhetorical,” Sice said. In what was possibly the most senseless act of her entire life, she brought her lips to meet Seven’s for a brief moment.

  
Realizing what she had just done, Sice was at a loss for words. Her eyes were wide and the only thing she could manage to say was, “Uh…” “Like I said,” Seven chuckled. She cupped one of Sice’s cheeks with her hand. “You’re beautiful.” She kissed Sice gently, and Sice’s urge to run away vanished. Now she just wanted – _needed_ to be even closer. With no thought and all instinct, Sice fell all the way back onto Seven’s bed, pulling Seven with her. Seven pulled away with a small gasp, then kissed Sice’s hungry lips again, more firmly this time. It was perfect. As far as first kisses went, this was, in Sice’s words, “Fucking heavenly.”


	54. Teamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven has the perfect idea for a teamwork-building exercise. (smol!sebusai)

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sice asked as Seven lifted her by the waist. “That’s impolite speech and you know that,” Seven admonished. She set an angry Sice down on her feet in an open area. “You still haven’t explained,” Sice grumbled. “Mother wants us to practice teamwork,” Seven said. Her expression was bright, much to Sice’s distaste. “So what do we do?” Sice asked. Seven grabbed both of her hands. “We dance!”

  
“Wait, what?” Sice clumsily followed Seven’s quick movements in an attempt not to fall down, just barely succeeding. “What kind of teamwork is this?!” Seven took a step back and pulled Sice toward her. “Our paces have to sync up, or eventually we’ll fall. See? We’re a team.” Sice stumbled but kept herself from falling, keeping a close eye on Seven’s feet in order not to bring them both to the ground. “This is stupid.” “Mother’s orders,” Seven nearly laughed. “Really?” Sice asked skeptically. “Actually,” Seven said, spinning Sice around. “She said I could decide.”

  
Sice fell backward, only for Seven to catch her. “So you decided on dancing?” “That’s right.” Seven brought Sice to her feet again, moving her body to some imaginary tune. “I don’t understand you at all,” Sice said. She tripped over Seven’s foot and fell forward, causing both girls to collapse onto the floor. “Crap! You okay?” Sice glanced at Seven, who still had a smile plastered on her face. “Of course you are.” She let out a sigh. “You’re usually the mature one…” “You said you don’t understand me,” Seven said, rising to her feet. “Would you like to, though?”

  
Sice was confused for a moment. “Huh? You mean like…wait. So you think we’re gonna be best pals or something?” Seven extended her hand to Sice. “I know you don’t like socializing. I won’t bother you about it if you say no, but I’d like for us to get to know each other better.” Sice grasped Seven’s hand and stood up. “Hm. No thanks.” Seven lowered her head slightly. “That’s fine. But you know I’m always here for you if you need anything. Thank you for dancing with me.”

  
Sice pouted. “Hmph. Well now you look all sad. Perk up, will ya? Mopey people annoy me even more than the happy-go-luckies.” “Sorry,” Seven said with a forced laugh. Sice rolled her eyes and offered her hand. “For crying out loud. How about we dance some more? That’ll cheer you up, right?” Seven’s eyes lit up. “Are you sure?” Sice rolled her eyes. “Quick, before I change my mind.” With a smile even brighter than before, Seven took Sice’s hand and they began to dance, this time with much better coordination.

 

* * *

 

 “They really do make a perfect team,” Queen whispered. “You think so?” Deuce asked. Cinque giggled. “Only Seven could ever get Sicey out on the dance floor.” Deuce peeked around the corner to glimpse at the dancing pair. “Well, they do seem to be having a pretty good time.” She smiled. “Yes, I see it now.” Queen adjusted her glasses. “Okay. Deuce, Cinque, let’s go back. We don’t want to get caught and ruin their moment.” “Roger,” Cinque whispered. “But then what do we do?” With an almost devilish smirk, Queen said, “We start planning the wedding.”


	55. Aquamens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Various (extremely short) shorts for Femslash February. The titles are simply the prompt names because I'm way too lazy to name these.

**Lazy Morning**

Sice’s eye twitched. What was that sound? Just now waking up, everything was foggy and it took a moment for her to identify the noise as her alarm clock. Wonderful. With a frustrated groan that expressed how dead she felt inside, Sice attempted to move her numb arm. A hand besides her own reached the alarm clock first, however, and put an end to the noise. “You set this thing?” Seven murmured in her husky, sleepy voice. Sice inhaled Seven’s familiar scent, which only made her even more reluctant to move. “Yeah but I really don’t wanna go to class.”

Seven opened her eyes slightly, just enough to see Sice’s hair reflecting some of the dawn’s light, then let them fall back shut. “I have good news.” Sice exhaled, the air tickling Seven’s chest. “Sice, we don’t have class today.” Sice’s breathing halted for a second, then resumed its normal pace. “Huh. That so?” “Yeah,” Seven said, beginning to caress Sice’s back. “You set your alarm for nothing.” “My bad,” Sice mumbled, the hold of drowsiness still firm. “Back to sleep then?” “Back to sleep,” Seven chuckled. Sure, they’d been woken up for no reason, but interrupted sleep was all the more precious. Though, Seven thought, not as precious as a cuddly sleeping Sice. Nothing could match that.

* * *

**Secret Admirer**

The hard part about having a crush wasn’t the constant flow of distracting thoughts, the goosebumps when _she_ was nearby, or even coming to terms with the facts. It was keeping the whole thing a secret. Sice tuned Kurasame out and began to write on her paper:

_She’s kind. She’s a good student. She’s gorgeous. I should be jealous of her. I should hate her guts. But she makes me happy._

Sice looked up for an instant to steal a glance at Seven, who was actually paying attention to today’s lecture. She had a focused look in her eyes, but her other features remained soft. _I want to touch her face and kiss her lips. I should hate her guts, but I think I love her._ As soon as she’d scribbled the last word, Sice balled her paper up, a touch of red coming to her cheeks. “Sice, would you like to tell me where in the peristylium the Vermilion Bird Crystal is located?” Kurasame asked. Sice looked up and prepared to answer, but found herself at a loss for words. She knew this. It was on the tip of her tongue. It was the easiest question she’d been asked yet. “In the…uh…wait, I’m having one of those-just gimme a sec.” “Please meet me after class,” Kurasame said, and Sice closed her mouth, nodding in understanding.

As embarrassing as the blunder was, even that couldn’t completely distract Sice from her thoughts about Seven. They were still there, floating in the back of her mind as she took notes, and she wished she could just go to her room and daydream. When class was finally dismissed, Sice met Kurasame at his desk. “I think the war’s getting to me. I know stuff, really. I just draw blanks.” “This is the third time in as many days,” Kurasame said in a tone that wasn’t exactly stern but definitely wasn’t lighthearted. “I won’t pry into why your performance is declining, but I will assign you a tutor for the time being.”

“Heh?” Sice blinked, bewildered. “Wait, seriously? A tutor?” “My decision is final,” Kurasame said. He began to write on a document. “Starting today, I am requiring you to have a minimum of thirty minutes of tutoring each day until your in-class performance improves to my satisfaction.” Sice rolled her eyes. “Right, fine.” Kurasame finished writing and handed Sice the document. “Take this to Seven.” Skimming the words on the paper, Sice raised a brow. “So she’s my tutor. Alright.” Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all. Her grades might not improve for some time, but who cared about that? With the words on this paper, Sice had priority over all those pesky underclass girls. Selfish? Maybe. Would she let Seven know about her feelings? Hell no – at least, not right away. But the coming days were looking mighty bright.

* * *

**Accidental Affection**

Seven always looked out for her friends. It was what she’d been tasked with, and she did it voluntarily. Well, maybe “friends” wasn’t the best word to use, even though she considered them as such. All the children under Mother’s care got along well enough, with the inevitable hiccups here and there. Things were much louder now than when she and King were the only children present, but the night always brought a refreshing quiet. All the other children were asleep with the exception of Sice, who never made much noise. The fact that she was still awake was a tad concerning, though.

Seven looked at Sice, who sat on top of her bed with her knees against her chest. After a few seconds, Sice glanced back. Her expression was blank but not hostile, so Seven proceeded to approach her. Sice nodded slightly as Seven reached her bed, silently granting permission to sit next to her. “You okay?” Seven asked in a hushed tone, gently shifting her weight from the floor to Sice’s bed. Sice gave a neutral grunt. “Jus’ feelin’ weird. Like cold.” Seven frowned. If Sice was cold, why didn’t she use one of the blankets on her bed? Not that the weather was particularly cold this time of year anyway. In fact it was rather warm. Had she gotten sick?

“Not goosebumps cold,” Sice continued. “Just uh…” She brought a hand to her chest. “Like hollow cold. Everythin’ feels vague. I dunno…nevermind.” Her frown persistent, Seven slowly draped her arm over Sice’s shoulders. Soon after, Sice began to lean toward Seven. She huffed, and then repositioned herself to lie on her back with her head in Seven’s lap. “Is that any better?” Seven whispered. Silently, Sice gave a single nod.

Seven smiled at the thought that she was helping Sice, and in a natural movement began to sift her fingers through the younger girl’s hair. At the first touch, Sice’s eyes darted up to Seven, then closed as she got used to the rather soothing strokes. Seven had no idea how she was going to get to sleep in this position, but Sice seemed to be well on her way and that was what was important right now. Without thinking, she leaned over and placed a kiss on Sice’s forehead. Surprisingly, Sice didn’t react, and Seven slowly resumed her upright position with all sorts of confusion pounding in her heart. She took a breath and exhaled. Accidents happened. She’d forget this in no time. If it was really an accident…

* * *

**Confession**

“Look.” Sice closed her book and exhaled. “I’ll be upfront with it because this has been bothering me for a while.” “Finally,” Seven said, folding her arms. “I was beginning to worry you’d never speak up. Well, let’s hear it.” Of course she’d been expecting this. It was Seven. She could read anybody like a book. She probably knew exactly what would be said next.

“I…like you,” Sice nearly whispered. Not quite nonchalant like she’d wanted to sound, but she’d said it. “So that was it,” Seven said, as if she’d had a few guesses – which she did, no doubt. This was Seven, the queen of perception. “Anyway, that was all,” Sice said, standing up. “I’d better get going to uh…you know…” “Sice.” There was a hint of a laugh in Seven’s voice. “Stay here a while longer. I still have things to teach you.” She closed her own book and set it aside. “Think, ‘extracurricular.’”

* * *

**Power Couple**

“Don’t look now, but there’s the most popular cadet in Akademeia.” “The most popular and the most gorgeous.” “Yeah, no kidding. Too bad she’s taken.” “They’re cute though. I heard her girlfriend’s really tough.” “Like she isn’t?” “You know what I mean. Rumor has it that that scythe wielder shattered all Arena records.” The girls continued to gossip until the power couple of Akademeia came within earshot. Then, they fell silent. The mere presence of the pair filled them with a rush of energy, admiration, and even some fear. Seven and Sice, on the other hand, were enjoying their walk to the terrace.

“We’ve been getting a lot of stares lately,” Seven mentioned casually. Sice shrugged. “Maybe it’s because I finally decided to stop being a wuss and just-” She looked down at their interlocked hands. “Do what I wanna do.” “And apparently that includes going to the most romantic spot on campus,” Seven said with a grin. “You’re so cheesy.” “And you love it,” Sice replied, snickering at the cadets in the hallway making way for them, some giving acknowledging smiles. Seven sighed. “I sure do.”

* * *

**Snowflakes**

“Eh?” Sice looked around a little, just to confirm. It was snowing alright. “Let’s go back inside,” Seven suggested hastily. She was aware that Sice hadn’t had the best of experiences with snow, and she wanted to avoid any reminders of that dark past. “We can go explore Corsi Cave later. The provost said to check it out whenever we get to it, so there’s no rush. Besides,” “You’re eager to go back, huh?” Sice asked. Seven was silent. She’d made herself way too obvious. “…Look, I know you know my history. But I’m fine now. Don’t worry about me.”

“You know I won’t stop worrying,” Seven said. “Not until this war ends.” “Sounds right,” Sice said. She sniffled. “Ugh.” She sneezed, shooting a clump of snot from her nose. “Gross….” Seven handed her a tissue. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back inside?” Sice wiped at the mucus until it was all on the tissue, cringing all the while. “Okay…maybe we can wait.” Seven smiled, a tad relieved at those words. “Alright. Let’s go back and I’ll make you some hot chocolate.” Making discoveries in a monster-inhabited cave could wait. A mug of hot chocolate overflowing with marshmallows was, in Sice’s opinion, way more important.

* * *

**Trust Fall  
**

“Catch!” Sice released her scythe, which was embedded in the Behemoth King’s back, as the monster reared with a mighty roar. The move flung Sice feet-first toward Seven, who had almost no time to prepare. She instinctively guarded herself with her whipblade, and Sice rebounded off of the weapon, landing on two feet. “Are you insane?!” Seven asked immediately. Sice smirked. “You caught me, didn’t you?” The foe swung its claw at the girls, and both dodged. Taking the opportunity to strike, Seven cast a Blizzard spell, and Sice Fire. “Synergy,” Sice said before breaking into a dash. The Behemoth King turned its head toward her, ready to pursue the speeding target. At that moment, Seven struck the ground with her whipblade, erecting spikes that froze her foe in place. With her running start, Sice leapt up to grab her scythe. She yanked it out of the Behemoth King’s back and then took a mighty swing at its gut, followed by a Blizzaga spell from Seven.

As the effect of Stop wore off, Sice and Seven backed away. Their enemy fell with a cry, and Sice cast another Fire spell. The monster fell silent, and Seven harvested its phantoma. “Now, Sice, tell me again – why in the world would you take that risk? You could have injured us both.” Sice chuckled. “Well, one, to see your face right now. Priceless.” Seven rolled her eyes. “And two, because I know that no matter what, you’ve got my back.”

* * *

**First Date  
**

“Wow, Sice. I didn’t know you and Sevensy were finally dating.” Cinque spoke the words in her normally cheery tone, though her smile seemed even brighter than usual. Sice immediately became flustered. “Heh?! Dating?! And what the hell do you mean by ‘finally?!’” She and Seven had been sitting at a table in the Ready Room, sharing a giant sandwich called…something about a Dynamic Duo. It really didn’t matter. The sandwich names were always weird. No one had paid much attention to the pair, mostly because they’d come here during the slow hours when there weren’t many people present to begin with. But then came Cinque.

“That’s funny,” Cinque giggled. “Well, I mean the way you’re denying it. Your face went from snowball to tomato just like that.” She really was way more perceptive than she got credit for. It was completely normal for friends to share a meal here, but with just a short observation of the way the girls looked at each other and their laughter, she drew an accurate conclusion. That mysterious ability rivaled Seven’s.

“Well, we never said it was a date,” Seven said, the words somehow making Sice feel tenser rather than relaxed. “…But we never said it wasn’t.” She smiled at Sice. “What do you say? Should we make this our first date?” Cinque watched in amusement as Sice stammered. “Bwah-th-th-th…It-This? You’re- Gahh!” Covering her face with her hands, Sice gave an extended groan. “Have fun on your date!” Cinque said before going on her merry way. Seven held back a laugh. The situation really wasn’t that funny – okay, maybe it was. Or maybe Sice was just especially cute with a red face.

“Here,” Seven said, lifting a sandwich slice to Sice’s covered mouth. Without another noise, Sice lowered her hands took a bite. No matter her mood, food was food, and food automatically made any date better.

* * *

**Much Needed Vacation  
**

“…Seriously?” Sice motioned toward the heap of papers on Seven’s desk. “What?” Seven asked, her normally perceptive self seeming to be completely oblivious to what Sice was upset about. “How many people’s homework are you doing?” Sice asked, annoyance obvious in her voice. “It’s not homework,” Seven said calmly. “A few instructors asked me to grade papers because they’re extremely busy, and some girls asked if I could check their notes. Though I’ll admit these notes are a bit weird for class…”

Sice snatched a paper from Seven’s desk. “What do you mean by- Oh hell no. So now they’re mixing their Sapphic notes with their history ones?” She growled, scrunching the paper into a ball. “That’s it.” “Sice-” was all Seven managed to say before she was swept into Sice’s arms. “You’re taking a break from all this junk,” Sice said, not caring what Seven had to say at the time. She carried her girlfriend through the halls of Akademeia and outside the main gate. “Sice,” Seven said when Sice stopped walking. “Wh-” A flash of light appeared, and the pair was suddenly surrounded by the interior of the Setzer. “Sice,” Seven sighed. She stood up, easily overcoming Sice’s resistance to her movement.

“We’re going on vacation,” Sice finally said. “And don’t you try to go back, because I’ll just drag you back here.” Instead of attempting to escape, Seven silently pondered a thought for a moment. “…Where do you plan on going?” Sice froze. That was a good question. “Well…we’ll just fly around and see. I just want you to relax and not be…uh, what’s the word? Burdened.” A small smile came to Seven’s face. “You sure can be considerate when you feel like it.” She took a seat. “Take me away, Captain.”

* * *

**Get A Room  
**

“Really?” Seven asked, raising an eyebrow as well as the corner of her mouth in a flirtatious half-smirk. “Really,” Sice replied before taking another piece of chocolate from the box Seven had given to her. Originally a girl from Class Sixth had presented Seven with the gift, but Seven gracefully declined, telling her that she’d already received plenty. The girl insisted that Seven take the box of chocolate anyway and give it to someone else if she couldn’t eat the treats. So, Sice ended up with the sweet gourmet goodness and was enjoying it quite thoroughly.

“And you know what else?” Sice asked, continuing the conversation they’d started about…what were they even talking about? They’d been flirting the entire time, mainly with just their eyes. It was much more overt than usual, but it was enjoyable. For them, anyway. Nine, on the other hand, wasn’t very amused.

“Get a room, will ya?” He looked down at their interlocked fingers and gestured to the whole situation – chocolate, gazing into each other’s eyes while speaking flirtatiously – it was a bit much, Sice had to admit to herself. But she wasn’t going comply with Nine’s request, if only just because it was Nine. “How about you get outta here? That stomach of yours is full, right? You got no business in the Ready Room.”

Nine snarled. “Look here, yo. This mushy gushy stuff – I don’t really mind it. But what I do mind is _you_ pulling this mushy gushy stuff. It’s way outta character!” Sice looked up at Nine and gave an amused grin. “So…you wanna fight, or…?” “Yeah!” Nine said eagerly. “That’s a lot better than this! Sorry Sev, gotta borrow this shorty for a bit at the Arena!” He tugged Sice out of her chair, pulling her toward the nearby portal. Seven simply remained seated, listening to cries of “Who ya callin’ ‘shorty?!’” and “Dumbass!” Nine was right for once. Rough and tough suited Sice better than…whatever had happened after she took that first bite of chocolate.


	56. The Art of Writing an Essay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sice was never really the studious type, but it looks like she's finally writing her essay for class, and Seven is glad.

Seven grinned to herself as she watched Sice work diligently at the desk in their room. It was truly a sight to behold. The girl who detested sitting and studying had now been working on her essay for three hours straight. It took a good amount of persuading, but the results would definitely be worth it. Content, Seven looked back down at the book she’d been reading. “You really should read Highwind,” she’d told Nine multiple times, but the man just wouldn’t listen. Maybe it was because his reading level wasn’t quite up to par with…well…anyone’s.

Shaking the thought, Seven turned the page, and then looked up again when she heard Sice rising from her seat. “Done!” Sice stretched her arms before walking to Seven with a sheet of paper in hand. “Check it out.” Seven looked to see what Sice had accomplished, and her smile instantly vanished when she realized that there were no words on the paper. Instead there was a drawing, one of which Seven did not approve of at all – partially because it was a drawing of her, scantily clad in a leather jacket and boxers. “… _Sice_ …”

“Don’t get so red,” Sice said calmly. “It doesn’t show your – ” “Sice. You’re supposed to be working on your essay.” As flustered as she was over the drawing, Seven was still highly upset that Sice was shirking her responsibilities as a student. “This assignment is due in a couple of days. You need to get it done. Kurasame was appointed by Mother, so we need to respect…” She trailed off, a perplexed expression coming to her face while Sice returned to the desk. Moments later, Sice handed her a thin stack of paper. “Essay. Completed approximately forty-five minutes ago.” Seven skimmed through the words with a frown. It was a complete essay alright. “You…you-!”

Sice let out a laugh at Seven’s loss for words. Seven scowled. “…Don’t think I’ll let you off the hook.” In a teasing tone, Sice responded, “Don’t worry. You can draw all the pictures of me you want. I’ll even pose for you.” Even as Seven rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, her lips twitched into a smile. “Dork.”


	57. Pink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unspecified incident, Seven brings Sice a gift.

“Seriously, what the hell?” Sice stared blankly at the lace underwear Seven held out to her. “I heard about what happened at the arena,” Seven said. “So here, a replacement.” Sice’s eyes darted to the upper right corner of the room and she forced a smile. “Ha, man you should’ve been there. Deuce chewed Nine out so hard – I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that pissed in my life.” Seeing straight through the attempt to avert the current situation, Seven steered the conversation back toward what was in her hand.

“Sice, you haven’t taken the panties yet.” “Don’t need ‘em,” Sice said hastily. “I’ve got plenty others. Thanks though.” “These are pink,” Seven said, frowning. “That pair that got destroyed was your last pink one, right? And I know that’s your favorite color…” “Whatever.” Sice took a seat on her bed, purposely avoiding looking directly at Seven. “You can be really easy to read, you know that?” Seven asked. She tossed the underwear into Sice’s lap and took a seat beside her. “You’re embarrassed.”

“Yeah, right!” Sice laughed. “I just think black suits me better. Wouldn’t you agree?” Wordlessly, Seven placed a hand on Sice’s thigh. “Uh…Seven?” The hand began to slowly move up as Seven kept her gaze on Sice, who finally looked into her eyes. “Hey Sev? Umm?” When Seven’s fingers reached the waistband of Sice’s skirt, she drew them away. “See? Pink suits you just fine.” “That…what the hell?!” Sice took in a deep breath in a failed attempt to get her rosy cheeks back to their normal color.

“It’s fine if people know you like pink,” Seven continued. “…To think you’d be so insecure about that, it’s really something…” Sice shot her a glare and huffed. “I’ll wear ‘em since you went out of your way to get ‘em for me. Just please shut up.” With a smile, Seven rested her head on Sice’s shoulder. “I think I can manage that. I’m satisfied now.” Sice rolled her eyes. “Remind me again why I’m dating you?” Of course, she wasn’t actually expecting an answer. This small occurrence was but one of the limitless reasons.


	58. Nap Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a very young Class Zero's nap, and Sice is, of course, wide awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so short and awful i cri

Seven looked at each bed. Ace was asleep, of course. After being tucked in and kissed on the forehead, Deuce was sound asleep as well. With the book he’d been hiding confiscated, Trey had nothing better to do than rest. Cater, energetic as she was, was still only a child and was also taking a nap. Both Cinque and Eight went to bed with zero complaints, and after much reprimanding for making Queen cry, Nine reluctantly followed suit. Jack, Queen, and King settled in for their naps without hassle, which left only one more child: Sice.

Sice had a habit of staying up while the other eleven children under Arecia’s care – her “siblings” – took a nap. Seven couldn’t quite figure out why. Surely a child that age should get tired and embrace the opportunity to doze off. But there Sice sat, staring blankly at the ground like she always did. And like always, Seven took a seat beside her and offered a few words.

“No one is going to hurt you here, Sice.” Seven looked at the ground as well, knowing that Sice wouldn’t reciprocate any attempted eye contact. “Mother is watching over us. And I am, too. You’re safe.” Sice didn’t respond. She never did. Sometimes Seven wondered if her words were even heard. “…I’ll leave you alone now. But you can always talk to me, okay? If you ever need anything, I’m here.” Just as she started to get up, Seven felt a cold hand touch hers. She looked at Sice, who was still staring at the ground. “Thanks.” The response was short, and Sice quickly withdrew her hand, but a joy blossomed in Seven’s heart that she hadn’t felt for a long time.


	59. Alone, But Not Really

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure I've written something almost exactly like this. Seven, orphanage, Sice is out on her quest, blah blah.

As lively as her orphanage was, filled with bright and energetic children, Seven couldn't help but feel some loneliness in Sice’s absence. The absence itself was for good causes: a grand quest to improve cooking techniques, increase funding for the orphanage, and gather stories to tell the kids. That didn't make the bed feel any less empty at night though.

Sice had reluctantly decided to help Seven fulfill her dream of providing a home for children who lost their parents during the war. Seven wasn't sure why at the time; Sice and children had never mixed well in her mind. But whatever the reason, Sice stood by her side. She tried her best to get along with the kids, did as much housework as she could manage, and cooked meals almost every day. Her effort was very admirable, Seven thought.

Before long, Seven and Sice had become like a perfectly functioning machine. Their teamwork was as effective as it was in their days as Agito cadets. They were unstoppable. Then, one day a child asked a question that made both of them think deeply: “Are you two married?”

Sure, Seven and Sice were more than comfortable with each other, sharing personal secrets and even a bed due to space accommodations. But the thought of a relationship hadn't crossed either of their minds - not that they'd admit, anyway. Soon enough, though, they found themselves at the altar exchanging vows.

Seven remembered the day fondly: Sice's dress, Queen’s tears, Celestia’s words right before their first kiss as a married couple, that wonderful night...and then there was this night, lonely and nowhere near as warm as usual. “This is no good.”

Seven sat up in bed and turned on the lamp set upon her nightstand. The dim light revealed a stack of letters, all from Sice. Seven often read over them, especially the long ones. She'd memorized some of the shorter ones, though she went back and read those too. One letter in particular she found to be more precious than any other: the very first. It has come just when she was starting to feel overwhelmed and afraid.

_Dear Seven,_

_Sorry I couldn't write sooner. Shit’s been kinda crazy and I've actually rewritten this letter like five times but I decided to say screw it. I'm in Concordia right now learning some neat cooking stuff. The geezers in Akademeia are processing the request for a grant for the orphanage. We shouldn't run into any trouble though since Rem is head of state. Expect hella gil soon._

_Uh, so. Aside from that. I just wanted to tell you that you've got this. I'm sorry I'm not there right now and I know there's a whole bunch of shit you have to do on your own. But I believe wholeheartedly that you can do it. Wait for me, babe. When I come home I'm gonna make a feast in your honor. I don't really know how to end a letter so this is it I guess._

_Love,_

_Sice_

Seven sighed at the pink ink on the paper in her hand as a smile formed on her lips. “I guess you're right…” If she really couldn't handle this, then Sice wouldn't have left. “How long has it been now?” Silently, Seven began counting the days, the weeks, the months, steadily drifting back to sleep with her back against her pillow.

* * *

 “...Hey.” Seven shifted as she emerged from her slumber. The noise wasn't her alarm, yet it alarmed her to an extent. If anyone had tried to sneak into the orphanage, she would've noticed right away - unless that person was extremely stealthy. Seven’s cloudy mind pieced together the fragments. Alarming, but not too alarming. Stealth. A voice. A very comforting voice.

“Sice!” Seven gasped, her eyes opening wide. “Yeah,” Sice whispered. “It's me. Here, lie down-” “I missed you.” Sice forgot to breathe for a moment when she heard those words. “I uh...um, I missed you too.” She quickly turned off the lamp to hide her reddening cheeks. “Same old Sice,” Seven giggled as her wife crawled onto the space beside her that hadn't been occupied for far too long. “Always,” Sice said. “Man, it's good to be home.”


	60. Polished Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven does a random act of kindness. Short trash written for the 7th of June and because I haven't updated in 893 years.

"Huh-What the?!" Sice jumped back as her scythe was handed to her by her girlfriend. Confused, she slowly reached for her weapon. "Uh...thanks?" She blinked, clueless as to why Seven was wearing a giant grin.  
  
"Notice anything different?" Seven asked. Sice moved her gaze to the blade. It shone brightly, and it looked even more deadly than usual. "You sharpened it, huh?" Twisting her wrist, Sice continued to carefully inspect her preferred instrument of destruction. "Nice and polished too..."  
  
"So, what do you think?" Seven beamed, her cheeks a light pink and her eyes practically radiating light of their own. Sice bit her tongue. Now was the time for giving a calm answer, not for screaming over how cute her girlfriend was being. "Heh, not bad. I like it."  
  
Seven giggled quietly, prompting Sice to raise her eyebrows. "What's so funny? Hey, quit that laughing!" Seven placed a hand on Sice's shoulder. "It's nothing. Your face is red, that's all." At that remark, Sice turned away. "Anyway, thanks for the uh...yeah." She began to walk away, her posture awkward and her grip on her scythe as tight as it could be. Seven shook her head and whispered to herself: "What a nerd."


	61. Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's another day at Sorcery's external bureau, and Seven isn't the only one to learn something new about herself.

"Seven likes girls! Seven likes girls!" Sice teased. "Woah, for real?" Nine asked, dropping his red crayon. "Doesn't that make her like a...lichen or something?" "No, you stupid," Sice said. "She's a, uh...she's Seven!" Seven rolled her eyes. "This really isn't important. Just because I said I'd like to have a wife in the future doesn't mean you should go gossiping about it."

"Yeah, it's pretty dumb," Sice agreed. "Most of us have no clue what we wanna do when we're grown-ups. Maybe that's why it's so interesting." "That's still no reason to try and tease me," Seven said, slightly annoyed. "It's not the most common preference, but it's nothing new."

"So, how did you discover that you prefer girls?" Queen asked, emerging from behind a corner. She adjusted her glasses. "Perhaps you like someone here." "Here we go again," Nine sighed, picking his crayon back up. He continued his drawing as Queen walked closer. "My hypothesis is that Seven has discovered her preference for girls by developing feelings for one of us here."

"Listen Queen, your hypotenuse is invasive." Sice folded her arms. Queen shook her head lightly. "Sice, were you not just announcing Seven's personal preferences? Why are you so intrigued, hm?" Sice opened her mouth, then paused. She scratched her head. "Um. I...huh. Well, you know. Uh...Queen, what's with that smirk?"

Queen giggled. "I see, I see. I'll have to record this observation right away."  Sice blinked. "Huh, what observation?" Queen took a step back. "That you have feelings for Seven, obviously." She scurried off before Sice could contest her conclusion. "I have..." With both astonishment and curiosity, Sice entertained the thought. "I have a crush on Seven?"

"El est Finis, yo!" Nine held up the sheet of paper he'd been drawing on. "Sevs an' her wife." Sice examined the artwork. "That looks like a carrot with tentacles and a flan wearing a toupée rampaging on the streets of Concordia." Nine pouted. "I kinda like it," Sice added. "It's very unique," Seven said with a smile. "Come on now, let's get some training done."

Years in the future, Seven and Sice's own child would draw something similar.


	62. Volleyball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the beach, Seven is playing volleyball with Cater, but she notices that their scorekeeper isn't doing her job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really short and terrible because I haven't written in a long time, especially not for these two but I'm trying to get back into the groove. Emphasis on trying.

Seven kept her eyes locked on the volleyball speeding toward her. She waited for the right moment, then hit the ball with a moderate amount of force. On the other side of the net, Cater leapt into the air and raised her knee. She kicked the ball toward Seven, who was unable to reach the quickly-moving object. “Good one,” Seven called as she strolled over to where the ball had landed. She turned her head toward in the direction of a certain sunglasses-sporting girl, who was reclining in a beach chair. “Hey, Sice, what’s the score?” After a few moments without an answer, Seven glanced at Cater. “I’m going to go over there. Maybe she can’t hear me.” “You do that,” Cater said. “I’m gonna go splash water on Queen.”

“That’s not smart,” Seven murmured to herself. Cater knew better. She was probably joking...maybe. Hopefully. Shifting her mind back to her main objective, Seven walked toward Sice, volleyball in hand. “Hey, Sice?” Still no response. Close up, Seven could see clearly that Sice was asleep. “...Well, I can’t exactly say I didn’t see this coming.” She glanced at Sice’s exposed abdomen, then at the nearby cooler full of ice-cold water bottles. Seven wasn’t exactly one for mischief, but when opportunities like this arose, she felt almost obligated to act. She reached into the cooler and retrieved a water bottle, taking a sip before holding it above Sice’s stomach. She lowered it slowly, suppressing giggles.

Sice’s arms and legs flailed when the cold object touched her skin. She gave a shout, looking around for the perpetrator. She removed her sunglasses and squinted at Seven. “You! You…You…” “You said you’d keep the volleyball score,” Seven said. Sice clenched her fists. “It’s- you! You...Ten out of ten!” “Excuse me?” Seven raised her brow, smirking. Sice glanced over Seven’s violet bikini. “I...I mean. Ten to ten. It’s a tie. Anyway, you can’t just-” Seven tossed the volleyball into her hands. “Why don’t you play against me? There’s a much better view when you’re part of the action.” Sice hesitated before accepting the invitation, her cheeks reddening with what she kept telling herself was anger. “Oh, you’re on!”


	63. Finals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finals week at Akademeia, and that means it's time to hit the books.

Seven peeked up from her notes. She'd noticed that Sice had begun to write more...well, loudly. The younger of the two girls was scribbling furiously, and the strokes of her pen had become more than just background noise. Her bored expression had become angry, complete with dilated pupils and bared teeth. “Uh, Sice?” Seven asked.

“There!” Sice nearly shouted. “I finished the damn essay. And now I've got two more to do, plus an exam to study for. I just took two yesterday! Who the hell thought this was a good idea?” Seven underlined a section of her notes. “Akademeia's administration, it seems. Each student has to complete standard final exams. Maybe you should join a study group.” Sice rolled her eyes and removed a blank sheet of paper from the stack by her right arm. “Like hell. They'd just distract me. You're the only study partner worth working with.”

Seven smiled. “How sweet.” She turned to another page of notes. “...Truthfully, Sice, it's really refreshing to study with you. It feels like the only time I don't get interrupted. The underclassmen seem to always want me to be at their study sessions. And while I'd love to help, I've got my own workload and it gets kind of exhausting.” “Heh.” Sice smirked, not looking up from her second essay. “What can I say? The little squirts are scared of me. Rightfully so. Quick, name a sublimated Vermilion Bird l'Cie.” “Yugino,” Seven said. “Name two of the three l'Cie who sealed Naraku.” “Uhh…” Sice thought a moment. “Damn, is that gonna be on an exam? Lazuline and Cae...Caelan, I think?” “Wow,” Seven said. “Good job. It shouldn't be on any exams, though. Maybe as a bonus question...if we get bonuses.”

Four hours passed, mostly in silence, sometimes with a few review questions tossed between the girls. Sice finished her second essay, and Seven had read through her notes multiple times. The sun had set, and exhaustion was starting to set in. “We're gonna make Mother so proud,” Sice said before yawning. “Let's say we hit the sack, huh?” Seven looked up from her notes. “Was that an invitation?” Heat rose to Sice's face and she blinked. “E-Excuse me? Tch, quit screwing around and get some sleep.” She rose from her chair and began to collect her study materials.

“Sice.” Seven's tone was serious but gentle. “You're going to do great on your exams. Sleep well, okay?” Sice looked at Seven, who wore a soft smile. “...Okay. Yeah. You too.” With her things collected, she took a step toward the door, but then she paused. “Um, it can be an invitation if you want. Like, I wouldn't mind...having you around.” Embarrassment quickly set in. “Anyway, later!” Sice practically bolted out the door, leaving Seven to giggle to herself. After all these years, the girl with the ponytail still tried to come off as cool. And she still failed miserably. What a dork. A cute dork, but a dork nonetheless.


	64. Favors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven doesn't specialize in healing magic, but she's pretty good at making Sice's pains go away.

Sice whimpered, tensing her muscles and then relaxing. “So that's the sensitive spot.” Seven moved her hand over the area on Sice's upper back again, this time with less pressure. “It seems like you just swung your scythe the wrong way. A simple Cure spell should take care of something like this.” “Nooo,” Sice groaned. “I want a massaaage.” “Awfully childish today,” Seven mumbled. She looked over the figure of her girlfriend, who was lying on her stomach and tapping her fingers rhythmically on the bed. “Why do I tolerate this?” “Mmm,” Sice hummed. “Because it makes you feel special that I'm only like this with you?” Seven raised her brow. “Wow, that...might actually be true.” Sice grinned. “You must've rubbed off on me.”

“Alright, that's enough,” Seven said with a small grin. “How about that massage?” She climbed onto the bed, placing one knee on either side of Sice’s waist. Sice gave a smile, though it wasn't visible from Seven's angle. “Yeah, let's get this show on the- oooh, yep, perfect.” Seven was quite skilled with her hands, and her massages were, in Sice's words, “almost as good as Mother's cooking.” Coming from Sice, that was quite the compliment. Seven worked her palms into Sice's back muscles, easing up around the tender spot. Without a care in the world, Sice let contented noises flow from her mouth. Hopefully Queen wasn't nearby; she'd immediately get the wrong idea. “Good shit,” Sice sighed. “I so have to make this up to you.” Seven smiled to herself as she continued her work. “I know something you can do.” “Oh?” Sice asked. “Please, enlighten me.”

“I've urgent news!” Queen barged through the door that Sice could've sworn was locked. “Oh, my. Was I interrupting something?” “What's this urgent news?” Seven asked, ignoring Queen's question. Queen adjusted her glasses. “Simply this: Carla is selling promise rings for a limited time. They are legitimate products, and they may grant status buffs, which I found to be quite intriguing. That is all.” A few moments of silence passed. “...Queen?” Sice looked up at her. “Yes, Sice?” “...Get out.” “Certainly.” Queen made her exit, carefully closing the door behind her. Seven sighed. “Same,” Sice said. “So, Seven.” “Hm?” “You were in the middle of saying there's something I can do to make this up to you. What do you have in mind?” Seven smirked.

“Well…”


	65. Masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven is invited to a school event and would like for Sice to attend as well. Sice agrees, on one condition...that Seven surprisingly accepts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one seems especially rushed, sorry orz

“A masquerade?” Sice scoffed. “That's the dumbest thing I've heard since-” “It sounds like fun,” Seven said, smiling at the Class Fourth cadet who had handed her a flyer. “I'll definitely attend.” The cadet giggled softly, her cheeks a light shade of red. “I um...I hope I run into you there, then!” She scurried off to a corner where other girls stood, immediately engaging in some sort of gossip. Sice rolled her eyes. “Seriously?” “A break from all this combat stuff would do everyone good,” Seven said. “Especially you. Why don't you relax a bit and attend as well?”

Sice gave a disgusted look. “The hell? I have nothing to gain from going to a dance. This magic academy is supposed to be teaching us about  _ magic  _ and military combat, not the tango.” Seven frowned slightly. “Even so, we're not war machines. Don't we all deserve some time to be normal teenagers?” “War machines…” Sice thought about it. Mother had raised Class Zero to fight, to kill. Yet they were also her precious children. So, they couldn't be complete war machines. Right? “Tch, tell you what. I'll go to this shindig if you breakdance while you’re there.” Seven pondered the offer briefly, and then gave a confident answer. “Alright. I'll see you at the masquerade.”

* * *

Sice frowned at assortment of dresses in the small Iscah shop she’d wandered into. It was hard enough just picking out a mask. “Ngh…” “Your face will get stuck like that,” a familiar voice said. The most adored member of Akademeia’s staff seemed to come out of nowhere, but that didn’t matter. If she would be of any help, Sice didn’t care if she fell out of the sky. “Emina...uh...hi.” “Searching for a dress?” Emina asked. She didn’t wait for Sice to answer. “Kind of last minute, considering the masquerade is tonight. Luckily, I’ve got your back.” Sice squinted. “Alright, who sent you?”

Emina giggled. “One of your classmates spoke to me. I won’t say which, though. In any case, there’s a dress on hold for you. Pick that up from the store manager and we can head back so that I can do your makeup.” As annoying and bizarre as the situation was, Sice wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. “Yeah, okay.” She walked toward a man standing in the store who smiled at her when she got close. “Joey, could you retrieve that item on hold?” Soon after he spoke the words, an employee approached with a black dress in hand. “Your uh...dress...ma’am. It’s been paid for by um…” “Thanks,” Sice said, taking the dress of his hands. “Oi.” She looked at Emina. “How ‘bout that makeup?”

With that, the student and the commanding officer without a class returned to Akademeia to prepare for what Emina described as a “festive night.” Even if Emina’s cheeriness gnawed on Sice’s nerves a little, she did damn good work with makeup. It was a pity, Sice thought, that half of her face would be covered. Or, perhaps it was a blessing. Maybe no one would recognize her. Or, maybe, as the case turned out to be, Seven would spot her right away.

 

“I don’t see you breakdancing,” Sice said. She looked up and down Seven’s black suit, her eyes lingering on the visible collarbone. “...Can you even breakdance in that?” Seven smiled. “I did a test run. Good to go. But before we get to that, one thing.” She extended her hand, and the gasps of several nearby girls could be heard. “May I have this dance?” Sice tensed up. “Huh?! Uh…” She looked through the eyeholes in Seven’s mask, only able to make out one violet iris eyeing her in a way that made her feel...strange. “Uh...I...Damn it, what’s wrong with with me? YEAH. I GUESS.” Seven suppressed a laugh and took Sice by the hand, starting to move her feet in time with the music that could only faintly be heard over the chatter of students.

“Uh...crap.” Sice stumbled, her eyes on Seven’s feet. For every right step, she made a wrong one, losing balance often. “I actually haven’t done this before.” “Don’t worry,” Seven assured her. “I won’t let you fall.” Sice held onto Seven's hand and shoulder for dear life. “Huh, if I were you I’d worry about me taking you down with me.” Seven remained calm in contrast to the increasingly frantic movements of Sice’s feet. “There’s nothing to worry about if we’re together, right?” “Keep that up and I’ll accuse you of flirting,” Sice mumbled.

The song playing ended, and Sice stepped back. “Alright, then...Aria! Hit it!” A song with a lively beat began to play, much different from what had been playing all night. “So, wanna show off some moves? Should I grab Eight so you two can have a showdown?” Seven began to stretch. “I’m not really the competitive type, but... _ absolutely.” _


	66. Gag Reel: Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crack. An unknown fiend has been writing 67 fanfiction...

_ “You look good tonight.” Seven took a drag from her pipe, her eyes locked on her visitor. Sice sauntered into the small apartment, her own eyes wandering to every curve of Seven's body. “Your dress looks a little tight.” With a smirk, Seven blew a stream of smoke into the air. She locked the apartment door, continuing to stare at Sice. “I could say the same thing to you.” The voluptuous tone of her voice strengthened, and her suggestion sounded more like a demand: “Why don't you change into something more...comfortable?” _

“Eh? This is…” Miwa skimmed the rest of the page and then folded the sheet of paper. “Students these days,” she sighed. She'd definitely have to make the two girls aware that someone was writing fanfiction about them and leaving it in the classroom. Fortunately, her afternoon was completely free.

* * *

Sice finished reading the sheet of paper. “I bet you it was Queen.” “I'm pretty sure she keeps the fruits of that specific hobby under lock and key,” Seven contested. “Besides, Miss Miwa, you said you found this in your class?” “Yes,” Miwa said. “I’ve found parts of this…'story' in the middle of the back row for the past few days, actually. It's definitely deliberate, but I can't seem to pinpoint who's leaving them there when my students are dismissed.” “I say we beat it out of ‘em,” Sice said. Seven offered a voice of reason. “We can't just fight every cadet in Class Fourth.” “Sure we-” “Excuse me!” Carla barged into the room. “What the hell?” Sice hissed. “I've heard you've got a little problem on your hands,” Carla said. “I will gladly seek out the perpetrator, for free!”

“Who does she think she's fooling?” Seven asked. Without missing a beat, Carla took the sheet of paper from Miwa’s desk. “I'll need this, of course! I swear to you, my friends of Class Zero, and to you, O honorable Champion of Rubrum, that I shall find the culprit behind this dastardly deed within three days!” She dashed off, leaving Sice, Seven, and Miwa to ponder her motives.

“Weird,” Miwa said. “She's gonna try to sell it,” Sice concluded. “But no one would buy that,” Seven added. “...Right?” She paused, and then looked at Sice, who said in unison with her, “QUEEN.” 


	67. Happy Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An elderly Seven and Sice reflect on their lives.

“Man, we’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?” Sice turned a page of the scrapbook Seven had created many years ago. “Look at us there. Graduation. Is Nine even looking at the camera? Tch. Some things never change.” Seven pointed to the photo on the bottom of the page. “At least he seems to know what he’s doing in the class picture. We all look good here. If only Kazusa and Emina hadn’t decided to photobomb their pal.” “I think it looks better this way,” Sice said. “Oh, look there. The Concordian royal wedding.” “That was beautiful,” Seven recounted. “All of those flowers in bloom...magical.” “I still remember Tonogiri’s eyeliner. Witchcraft.” Sice chuckled and pointed to another picture. “This one’s blurry…”

“That would be the Rubrum Cactuar,” Seven said. “You can see its eye and a bit of its mouth here-” “Oh. Ah, okay, I see it. Heh.” Seven sighed fondly at the next picture they looked at. “I remember this like it was yesterday. When we first opened the orphanage and Rem took a picture of us in front of it.” Sice gave a gentle hum. “Look here, there's Dan, and Zatch...quite the handful, that little one.” “Yeah,” Seven agreed. “He was a sweet kid, though. Oh, there's Hana helping you cook. And Bart there…”

Sice chuckled when she turned a page to reveal a photo of Machina and Ace posing strangely. “Maybe it's a chocobo nerd thing,” she joked. “Hey, look,” Seven said, pointing. “Machina and Rem’s wedding, and our wedding.” “Mhm.” Sice skimmed a few pages. “Remember when they brought their kid and- ha, there it is.” She gazed at a crisp photo of a dark-haired baby vomiting onto Machina. “Poor guy never did have much luck with kids.”

The next page revealed more photos from the orphanage. “Agnes and Libro and Riri.” Seven sighed. “They could be so much help, yet so much trouble. Oh, there's Naju.” “She looks like a naked mole rat here,” Sice said. “...And now she looks like you.” “How I looked in my prime, anyway,” Seven mumbled.

“That's the postcard from Cinque and Cater...and that's King’s promotion to chief of police.” Sice took a breath and sighed. “And Jack laughing his ass off. His jokes weren't even funny!” “It took me far too long to understand Jack,” Seven said. “But I can appreciate what he does now. Even if his jokes are terrible.” She turned the page. “The Tonberry Trio, back at it again. They look really nice. Where was this, that science awards ceremony?” “Think so,” Sice said.

“Lorica, twenty years later.” Seven said, tapping her finger  beside a photo of Ryid in a small town. “Speaking of kings…” “Yeah,” Sice said. “There, King Claudio Tonogiri Misca Sancest Forturio. I'm surprised they let him ascend to the throne.” “He's doing an excellent job,” Seven said. Sice smirked. “Can't argue with you there. Between him, Ryid, Machina, Rem, and Faith, Orience has got some of the best leaders possible.” “Lady Aoi did a lot too,” Seven said. “I wonder if she's in here somewhere. I think there was a picture of her with Kazusa…”

“Hey, check this one out. Queen and Trey on our old stomping ground. Nerds.” “Not any nerdier than you,” Seven said, gently nudging Sice’s arm with her own. The two women continued to flip through the scrapbook, recalling old memories and laughing together.

“That Carla’s kid?”  
“He looks just like her.”

“Deuce looks so excited with that new flute.”

“As ridiculous as those sunglasses look on Aria, they suit her.”  
“Agreed.”

“Quon with his books…”  
“What a lovely wedding.”

“This one...didn't Cinque draw that when we were kids?”  
“I'm surprised you remember.”  
“Well I'm surprised you held onto to it all this time.”

“There's Mother.”  
“Yeah…”

“Oh, Eight’s championship match, right?”  
“That was no contest.”  
“Tell me about it.”

“There's Naju at school.”  
“Where has the time gone?”

Eventually, Seven turned to a blank page. “So, I think we've had a pretty fulfilling life. Do you agree?” Sice kissed her wife on the cheek. “Do I ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks. Thanks for putting up with this giant mess. Sorry for some (a lot) of these being so rushed and also for the low word count (though the tags do say Short One Shots). Cough. Have a nice day/night/week/month/year/decade/life!


End file.
